Oprah_ A Biography - Kitty Kelley [162]
“It’s wrong and immoral to pass off a piece of fiction as a memoir,” said Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times. “I wouldn’t do it.”
“Oprah Winfrey is, number one, the queen of goodwill in the United States,” said Stanley Crouch of the New York Daily News. “And she was had. It’s that simple.”
“James Frey very clearly lied to promote his book,” said Maureen Dowd of The New York Times, “and I don’t think that should get the Oprah seal of approval.”
In the next segment Oprah lambasted Nan Talese as the publisher of the book.
“What responsibility do you take? What did you do as the publisher of this book to make sure that what you were printing was true?”
Talese said that she had read the manuscript and shared it with colleagues, and when they had no questions, she gave it to the editor, Sean McDonald, who, no longer with Doubleday, became the scapegoat.
“That book is so fantastical,” said Oprah, “that … that’s not washing with me.… What did you do legally to make sure?”
Talese said the book was vetted by lawyers, but that no one questioned it because “this was James’s memory of the hell he went through, and I believed it.” She tried to explain the subjective thinking that goes into writing a memoir, but Oprah was having none of that, either, nor was her booing audience.
“I think this whole experience is very sad,” said Talese. “It’s very sad for you, it’s very sad for us.”
“It’s not sad for me,” snapped Oprah. “It’s embarrassing and disappointing for me.”
Talese said that Frey would be writing an author’s note to address his made-up recollections in future editions of the book, but this drew more hisses from the audience, whom Talese later characterized as “hyenas.”
During the break, James Frey said that if there was a gun backstage he might as well shoot himself. When Oprah came back on the air she said she appreciated him coming on the show. “I do believe that telling the truth can set you free. You know, you were joking, I hope—that if there’s a gun backstage, whatever—but I know it’s been difficult and I said to you, ‘It’s not worth all that. It’s not worth all that. All you have to do is tell the truth.’ ”
With an understatement not shown in his writing, Frey said, “This hasn’t been a great day for me … but I think I have come out of it better.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Oprah.
“I mean, I feel like I came here and I have been honest with you. I have, you know, essentially admitted to …”
“Lying,” said Oprah. “To lying.”
Having been publicly flogged, Frey walked back to the green room as if in a coma. “Dude, I just got slaughtered by Oprah in front of twenty million people,” he said to one of the publicists. They all sat down to watch Oprah tape After the Show, a segment for the Oxygen network. A methamphetamine addict stood up.
“Oprah, I don’t care about the exaggerations in the book. I’m an addict and this is my story.”
“I’m glad it helped you,” said Oprah. “That’s why we have the book club. James has apologized, so I’m okay with it.” That comment was later edited out of the tape and deleted from the transcript that Harpo released.
As soon as Oprah finished the segment, she and Ellen Rakieten ran to the green room, where Frey and his publicists were sitting, still shell-shocked.
“Are you okay?” asked Oprah. “Are you okay?”
“This sucks,” said Frey.
“Oh, James. I’m so sorry. I made a huge mistake.… If I hadn’t said what I said on the Larry King show, none of this would’ve happened. We had two statements ready to go for me to read—one positive, one negative, depending on how you did on the show. If only I had said it correctly, none of this would’ve happened. But after that show The New York Times and The Washington Post wouldn’t let it go. We had to stop it. I’m so sorry, but they were investigating us. And we just couldn’t have that. If I had said correctly what was on the statement this would not have happened.”
Sheri Salata and Jill Adams, the producers who had worked with Frey, felt awful. “I can’t believe this happened,” said one. “You went from the best book club ever to the worst. I can’t