E5 - Memoirs and Lawsuits

Angela and Brian explore the potential liabilities and pitfalls of publishing "tell-all" memoirs. 

Many people want to publish accounts of their lives, recounting experiences that negatively affected their lives, and exposing people who "wronged" them. Unfortunately, such declarations have opened many an author up to civil litigation, initiated by the very people they criticize in their memoirs. Even if the claims in one's life accounts are true, they can still lead to a legal nightmare for the person who publishes such accusations.

Our hosts list several ways someone can find themselves in legal jeopardy. They review steps you can take when writing your memoirs to mitigate the risk of getting sued for libel or defamation, and list several examples or authors who have found themselves in legal battles over the claims they made in their autobiographies about other people. You may be surprised at just how little ammunition someone needs to come after you in court.

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