New York: Oprah Winfrey has come out in support of author James Frey in the controversy surrounding his memoir of addiction, A Million Little Pieces.
Winfrey dismissed allegations of falsehoods as "much ado about nothing" and urged readers who have been inspired by the book to "Keep holding on."
"What is relevant is that he was a drug addict ... and stepped out of that history to be the man he is today and to take that message to save other people and allow them to save themselves," Winfrey said on Wednesday night in a surprise phone call to CNN's Larry King, who was interviewing Frey on his live television program.
A Million Little Pieces describes Frey's supposedly true struggle with substance abuse and his subsequent rehabilitation. It shot to the top of the bestsellers lists after Winfrey endorsed it on her show, selecting it for her book club.
Claims have been made, however, that the book is unsubstantiated and that the events were exaggerated at best.
Allegedly, high points in the book were inflated beyond recognition: such as Frey's violent arrest for drug possession and assaulting an officer, which doubters claim cannot be verified by any police official.
A Million Little Pieces sold 1.77 million copies in 2005, making it the number two book of the year behind Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
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