Memoir Author Faces Theft Lawsuit
Amy Griffin, author of best-selling memoir "The Tell," is being sued by a woman who claims Griffin stole her stories of sexual abuse and used them as the foundation for the book. The plaintiff alleges her personal experiences were appropriated without consent, raising questions about narrative ownership and memoirist responsibilities when recounting traumatic stories.
The lawsuit was filed by a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims the memoir's descriptions of sexual abuse mirror her own assaults by a teacher. The suit alleges intrusion, invasion of privacy, publication of private facts, negligence, and infliction of emotional distress, naming Griffin, her publisher, and a ghostwriter as defendants. An attorney for Griffin has called the lawsuit "absurd" and "meritless." The plaintiff alleges that Griffin, a former classmate, was aware of the abuse. The lawsuit states that one of the alleged assaults occurred while the plaintiff was wearing a dress borrowed from Griffin, which was returned with bodily fluids on it. It also mentions a 2019 coffee shop meeting between the two women, which is recounted in the book, though the plaintiff denies discussing the sexual assaults during that meeting. "The Tell" was a commercial success, largely propelled by its selection for Oprah's Book Club and endorsements from celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow. In the memoir, Griffin, a venture capitalist, writes that she uncovered repressed memories of being abused by a teacher in the 1980s through MDMA-assisted therapy. This lawsuit follows a September 2025 New York Times investigation that had already raised doubts about the book's claims. The report pointed out that Griffin and her husband have financial investments in a pharmaceutical company focused on the same MDMA-assisted therapy she credits in the book.
