November 11, 2005 8:14

Johnny Cash’s daughter angry over biopic

She believes her mother is wrongly portrayed

Johnny Cash’s daughter is angry at a new film about the singer’s life, ‘I Walk The Line’.

Kathy Cash walked out of a screening given to the late legend’s family as she was so upset at the portrayal of her mother – and Cash’s first wife – Vivian Liberto Distin.

She said that the film’s depiction of her mother, who died earlier this year, was “not true” and explained: “"My mom was basically a nonentity in the entire film except for the mad little psycho who hated his career."

According to BBC News, she added: "She loved his career and was proud of him until he started taking drugs and stopped coming home."

Kathy Cash also complained that the biopic failed to show the singer’s children and their suffering during their parent’s divorce and their father’s fight with drugs.

However, she praised the performances of Joaquin Phoenix as Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash but expected that “dyed-in-the-wool fans” would object to the film.

John Carter Cash, the movie’s executive producer and the singer’s only child from his second marriage, admitted the merit of his half-sister’s criticisms, saying: “I'm compassionately understanding. The point of the film is my parents' love affair."

Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto Distin were married for 13 years and had four children together.

Cash died at the age of 71 in September 2003.