Only a few authors might have experienced a rise and fall the way James Frey did. Everyone was talking about his memoir, A Million Little Pieces, in 2003, but things didn’t go as planned for the author because he was publicly ridiculed and shamed on television.
To be called out on Oprah Winfrey’s platform is no small joke because millions of people tuned in to watch her show. He became the national villain, but now, Frey has returned two decades later for his second act. But will the public only associate him with the lies that once defined him?
James Frey was shamed by Oprah Winfrey for A Million Little Pieces
James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces was marked as a raw and unfiltered memoir that focused on his addictions, his way towards crime, and ultimately, redemption. His unrelenting honesty in the book struck a chord with everyone and even earned him an endorsement from TV’s favorite billionaire, Oprah Winfrey.
But then The Smoking Gun published an investigation in January 2006, which reported that Frey had changed key details in the memoir, like his criminal record, jail time, and the root canal moment (via History). So when confronted by Winfrey, in a now-infamous episode, Frey was grilled, and he ultimately admitted to lying.
The fallout from this was swift, and even his publisher faced backlash for not fact-checking the book’s contents. Frey was dropped by his agent, but despite this scandal, A Million Little Pieces spawned a movie adaptation that featured Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Frey’s story, true or not, retained cultural weight despite drawing in criticism.
James Frey kept pushing himself after the controversy
So, where is James Frey today, you ask? According to The New York Times, he’s nowhere close to fading away. He now lives in Connecticut, and his home is full of high-end art, plus a vintage Porsche. So far, he’s written young adult novels, run a publishing company, and even served as a video game CEO, but it seems like his true passion is still writing.
His latest novel is titled Next to Heaven, which is a satirical and s*xually charged story that revolves around murder and wealth. This time around, he’s being accused of using AI to write, but he vehemently denies this claim. Moreover, Frey also claimed that Oprah Winfrey “told more lies to the public than I ever have.”
Despite the scandals, Frey has found his footing. He counseled fellow public outcasts like A.J. Daulerio, who credits the author with helping him navigate his own downfall. So, it seems like the man that Winfrey once shamed refuses to disappear, and is unafraid of the spotlight, or the backlash it might bring.
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