Lawsuit Claims Memoirist Amy Griffin Used Classmate’s Sexual Assault Story as Her Own
Lawsuit Claims Memoirist Amy Griffin Used Classmate’s Sexual Assault Story as Her Own
Joyann JeffreyMon, March 9, 2026 at 8:55 PM UTC
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"The Tell" author Amy Griffin.Credit: The Dial Press; Jake Rosenberg -
The Tell author Amy Griffin is being sued by a former classmate, who says Griffin used her childhood trauma to help write the bestseller
The woman, who goes by Jane Doe in the lawsuit, says she believes Sam Lansky is a ghostwriter on the book
The plaintiff is suing for negligence, invasion of privacy and more
The Tell author Amy Griffin is being sued by a former classmate, who says that Griffin's story of sexual abuse — which she detailed in her bestselling memoir — was actually based on her life.
The classmate, who is identified as Jane Doe in court docs, alleges that she had her "identity, likeness and private information unlawfully used" in the memoir. The woman says she attended the same Amarillo, Texas, middle school as Griffin and is referenced multiple times in the book as Claudia (a pseudonym).
"Our client has experienced significant harm from the disclosure of deeply private information without consent," the woman's lawyer tells PEOPLE in a statement. "We are confident we have strong legal grounds for relief under well-established privacy law. We are committed to pursuing all available legal remedies and look forward to presenting our case in court."
Along with Griffin, the woman is also suing Sam Lansky, whom she believes is a ghostwriter on The Tell and Penguin Random House and The Dial Press, which published the book.
Amy Griffin in March 2025.Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty
The Tell was selected as the March 2025 pick for Oprah's Book Club. In the memoir, Griffin recalled her experience as a victim of childhood sexual assault. She wrote that she took MDMA under the supervision of a trusted therapist to help her recall the memories that she had previously repressed.
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"What happened to me was so horrific that I put it in the back of my brain and was never going to tell myself," she told PEOPLE in a March 2025 interview. "What has been most powerful for me is the decision to go forward and talk about it."
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In the lawsuit, Jane Doe cited two incidents that happened in the book and said those instances happened to her and not Griffin. The woman says she was "sexually assaulted in a closet by one of the school’s teachers," and was also assaulted in the school's bathroom. She says the latter was more "violent" and that the same teacher had "put his boot on her back, stuffed a bandana in her mouth ... whipped her with a belt" and more.
PEOPLE has reached out to Griffin for comment, but has not heard back at the time of publication.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
