Nearly two decades after a public takedown on national television, author James Frey is reigniting criticism of Oprah Winfrey, calling her actions during their 2006 confrontation "brutal hypocrisy."

Frey, now 55, made headlines in the early 2000s when his memoir, A Million Little Pieces, became a number one bestseller after being featured on Oprah's Book Club.

But the book's success unraveled in January 2006 when The Smoking Gun published a detailed exposé titled "A Million Little Lies," revealing Frey had fabricated key parts of his story, including his criminal history and involvement in a deadly train accident.

Shortly afterward, Frey appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where Winfrey publicly rebuked him in front of a live audience.

"I have to say it is difficult for me to talk to you because I feel really duped," Winfrey told Frey at the time. "But more importantly, I feel that you betrayed millions of readers."

She continued, "My judgment was clouded because so many people seemed to have gotten so much out of it. But now I feel that you conned us all. Do you?"

"I don't feel like I conned everyone," Frey replied in the interview. "I still think the book is about the essential truth of my life — overcoming addiction."

The fallout was swift. His literary agent and publisher dropped Frey. Random House later settled a class-action lawsuit with readers who had purchased the memoir.

Now, with a new nonfiction book, Next to Heaven, set for release June 17, Frey is revisiting his past in interviews — and aiming at Winfrey.

"It's the brutal hypocrisy of it," Frey told The New York Times in a recent interview. "She told more lies to the public times a thousand than I ever have. And I'll leave it at that."

Frey also expressed lingering resentment over how the situation played out, despite a televised reconciliation with Winfrey in 2011.

"You might be the most influential lady in this world, you won't stop me. I will lower my head and I will walk forward and I'll keep throwing punches until I die. You can't stop me," Frey said.

Public reaction to Frey's remarks has been divided. On social media, some users criticized the author for dredging up old drama and painting Winfrey as a villain.

"How is Oprah positioned as the villain? It's a really bizarre take. Huh?" one commenter wrote on Instagram. Another added, "Oprah didn't 'shame' him. He lied and showed up on her show, where he finally had to own it. Nothing to do with Oprah."

Others defended Frey's body of work, expressing support for his new book and dismissing past controversies.


"I love that book, could CARE LESS if he made it up," one fan wrote as per The Atlanta Black Star. Another commented, "Love his first book, and I will be purchasing the next!"

In their 2011 televised reconciliation, Frey accepted responsibility for his fabrications and credited Winfrey for reaching out privately.

"You've done nothing wrong, but be really generous and cool with me, and whatever happened, happened because I created that situation," Frey said. "If anything, you deserve the apology more than I deserve one."

Winfrey, now 71, responded at the time, "Well, thank you for saying that, but my apology is not for what I said, it's for the way that I said it. What people saw was my lack of compassion, so I apologize for my lack of compassion."

Frey has since written several other books, including My Friend Leonard (2005), The Calling (2014), and Katerina (2018). His latest work, Next to Heaven, is being published by Authors Equity.

Tags
Oprah winfrey