Author and venture capitalist Amy Griffin is defending her bestselling memoir The Tell amid an ongoing dispute with a former classmate who alleges that Griffin appropriated her childhood sexual abuse experiences.
In a November 8 report, Page Six detailed Griffin's response to allegations brought by Joleene Altum. Griffin denies using Altum's experiences and has filed a defamation lawsuit against her. Altum maintains her allegations.
Published in March 2025, The Tell became an Oprah's Book Club selection. The memoir recounts Griffin's account of childhood sexual abuse and her experience of recovering memories during MDMA-assisted therapy. Its success was followed by scrutiny of its narrative and the competing claims surrounding it.
Altum's lawsuit alleges that her identity and private experiences were used without permission. She also claims she is represented by a character named "Claudia." Griffin disputes that identification and denies the allegations against her.
Griffin's defence centres partly on chronology. Her lawyers say she documented her memories in 2020, spoke to police in 2021 and completed a manuscript by March 2022, before some of the alleged information gathering. Altum's lawyer disputes Griffin's account of the controversy and says the case will be proved in court.
The dispute has also raised questions about the book's publishing future. In a November 5 report, Breaker examined the absence of a paperback edition and reported concerns about another print run. The accessible report does not establish that the publisher has cancelled the book.
As of November 9, no newer report confirming a settlement or final ruling was located. The allegations remain contested.
