Gawker: Scott Ruffalo

Scott Ruffalo's Death Was a Murder, Police Declare

Richard Lawson — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:19:00 EST

Los Angeles detectives have officially determined that the death of actor Mark Ruffalo's brother Scott was indeed a homicide. They initially arrested a suspect earlier this month, a friend of Ruffalo's named Shaha Adham, but she was later released. Then she popped up on TMZ and reiterated her innocence. She claims (or claimed at one time) that Ruffalo shot himself while playing a game of Russian roulette. In the back of the head. [People]

Third Person in the Room Named in Scott Ruffalo Case

Richard Lawson — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:24:23 EST

The name of the third person possibly involved in the sad, strange case of Scott Ruffalo, the brother of actor Mark who was shot in the head and killed earlier this month, has been revealed. A man named Kristian Muradaz was arrested after the shooting (but before Mr. Ruffalo passed away) for attempted murder, TMZ tells us. The site also implies that the Russian roulette story, initially provided by fame-seeking (?) other person in the room Shaha Adham may still be in play. Ugh.

Scott Ruffalo Case Gets Seedier, Sadder

Richard Lawson — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:24:48 EST

More developments in the strange death of actor Mark Ruffalo's brother Scott. Supposedly police aren't buying the whole "Russian Roulette" story given to them by the "Saudi princess," Shaha Mishaal Adham. Can't trust foreigners!

Adham, who apparently raised hell back at her tony LA prep school, Harvard Westlake was caught by buzzing TMZ cameras and, sadly, was happy to talk to them. She's glad, and quick, to call her old friend Scott "crazy." So that's nice. I was also kinda hoping, when I first heard about her, for someone more mysterious and worldly. Instead she sounds like that one girl from My Super Sweet 16 who said "moooommmmm" in this really annoying way and got carried into her party by a group of hunky mens. So that's stupid.

Also stupid is the tale she spun about Scott dying from a Russian roulette accident. Rumor is that the cops are starting to not so much believe that story, because of little details like the gunshot being to the back of his head.

So the mystery thickens and begins to ooze into smeary Hollywood scandal territory, with a blasé party girl in the center, talking willingly to TMZ. I'd say that the brother of a classy, artsy actor like Mark Ruffalo doesn't deserve this (and he doesn't), but really, ain't nobody who deserves this.

Stiller Steps in for Ruffalo after Russian Roulette Tragedy

Richard Lawson — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:22:01 EST

Neurotic funnyman Ben Stiller is replacing rumpled sadsack Mark Ruffalo in Squid and the Whale auteur Noah Baumbach's next feature, Greenberg. Maybe because of the tragic and, um, nutty death of Ruffalo's brother this week.

Hairdresser Scott Ruffalo was mortally wounded on Friday, with a gunshot to the head. He was taken off of life support on Monday. A friend of his, the daughter of a wealthy Saudi businessman, was held for questioning in what police were then calling an execution-style murder, but later released. She claimed that Scott had a nasty habit of playing Russian roulette while hopped up on goofballs, and the game had finally caught up with him. Russian roulette being, for those of you who have never shrieked "ditty MAO!" at your friends and captives, a game in which you put one bullet in the barrel of a revolver and keep putting the gun to your head and pulling the trigger. Whoever gets the bullet, well... well, he loses.

It's a crazy weird story and no one, of course, blames Ruffalo for backing off of a movie or press or any other businessy type thing, but Ben Stiller? Ugh. I mean, he's shown some dramatic chops in flicks like Permanent Midnight and Along Came Polly (that's a joke), but Baumbach movies are such finely-tuned little Swiss clocks of aching, terrible precision. For that reason, sloppy old Jack Black didn't really work in Margot at the Wedding (not that same time that Rachel got married, bee tee dubs), and I don't think Stiller's typical broad strokes will be a good fit either. Ah well.

Pretty crazy though, huh? Russian f'ing roulette.