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Katie Was TiVo's Biggest Hit
15 December 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Katie Couric's last day on NBC's Today show was the most TiVo'd broadcast of 2006, the digital video recorder company said Thursday. TiVo issued a list of the top-ten moments of the year, which also included: 2: Mel Gibson's interview with Good Morning America's Diane Sawyer about his DWI arrest; 3: Oprah Winfrey's humiliation of writer James Frey, in which she accused him of betraying readers; 4. The characters Sara and Grissom becoming "a couple" on CSI; 5. Faith Hill's reaction to Carrie Underwood's win at the CMA Awards. In a statement, TiVo commented, "This is one of the many reasons why TiVo DVRs are a must-have for TV viewers and sports fans across the country, who can count on never missing those key moments or the big plays."

Frey Settles With Duped Readers
8 September 2006 (WENN)
The author who famously duped America into believing his fictional work A Million Little Pieces was a memoir has settled a series of lawsuits filed by angry readers. James Frey's book became a best seller after Oprah Winfrey hailed it on her daily talk show, but the writer's memoirs were scrutinized by website thesmokinggun.com and the author was quickly shamed into admitting the book was littered with fiction. Frey and his publishers at Random House and have agreed in principle to settle lawsuits filed by readers who said they were upset by fabrications in A Million Little Pieces, according to published reports. In the terms of the new deal, all readers who bought the book in good faith on or before January 26, when Frey and Random House bosses confessed that parts of the book were made up, will be eligible for a full refund. Neither Frey nor the publisher have admitted any wrongdoing, according to the New York Times.

Willis Defends Frey
16 February 2006 (WENN)
Bruce Willis has jumped to the defense of controversial author James Frey, declaring he was unfairly attacked on Oprah Winfrey's TV show last month. Frey has been criticized for embellishing parts of his best-selling book, A Million Little Pieces, which was originally billed as a memoir. The Die Hard star says on TV show Access Hollywood, "Look at what happened to James Frey in the last two weeks. That's a great book and so is the follow-up book. And just because his publisher chose to say that these were memoirs, it took it out of being a great work of fiction... to this guy having to go be sucker punched on Oprah by one of the most powerful women in television, just to grind her own axe about it. Hey, Oprah. You had President (Bill Clinton) on your show and if this prick didn't lie about a couple of things, I'm going to set myself on fire right now. James Frey is a writer, OK? He can write about whatever he wants. It's fiction. It's just shameful how he was treated in some of these things."

Winfrey Fries Frey
27 January 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Oprah Winfrey, in a two-hour display of contrition and anger, devoted her entire program Thursday to further exposing author James Frey as a liar. Frey, whose A Million Little Pieces became a best-seller after it was praised by Winfrey on her television show, wilted in front of her as she accused him of fabricating his supposed work of non-fiction. Earlier in the program she apologized for phoning in to Larry King's television show to defend Frey, saying "I regret that phone call. ... I left the impression that the truth is not important." Nevertheless, some writers expressed skepticism about Winfrey's about-face. Hillary Frey (presumably no relation to the author), the books editor of the online Salon magazine, observed that given the published revelations about A Million Little Pieces, "she didn't have much of a choice." She added, "It was hard to avoid thinking that Frey was being put on display not to set the record straight, but for a public flogging. More than once Oprah emphasized that this experience has 'embarrassed' her. Her revenge: shaming another person in front of a live studio audience. Who knew that Oprah was an 'eye for an eye' kind of lady?"

Oprah Challenges Author On Her Show
27 January 2006 (WENN)
Oprah Winfrey has taken author James Frey to task over his decision to lie to her about his disputed memoir. Winfrey has defended the writer amid claims he fabricated details of his book A Million Little Pieces, which Winfrey chose for her Book Club last year - prompting a sales surge. She has since discovered that Frey's story of substance abuse and recovery features information about a questionable drug rehab stint, which critics claim is inaccurate. During a taped episode of her show, which aired in America yesterday, Oprah told Frey, "It is difficult for me to talk to you because I really feel duped... I feel that you betrayed millions of readers." Winfrey even defended Frey, 36, when he appeared on a recent Larry King Live show on CNN after scandal website The Smoking Gun exposed the author as a reported liar. The media mogul has since been widely criticized and now admits she regrets standing up for Frey on King's show, stating, "I left the impression that the truth is not important." Frey has acknowledged he embellished parts of the book, and he told Winfrey on her show, "I made a mistake." Bosses at Frey's publishers, Doubleday, have insisted the writer pens a brief author's note for future editions of his memoir, explaining some details are embellished.

Winfrey Defends Book Club Author Over Fake Claims
13 January 2006 (WENN)
Chat show host Oprah Winfrey has defended author James Frey over allegations his autobiographical account of drug addiction, A Million Little Pieces, is greatly exaggerated. The book became a million-seller when it was selected for Winfrey's TV book club last year, but a story posted on website TheSmokingGun.Com on Sunday claims Frey faked many aspects of his past in the book, including his criminal record. But, in a telephone interview with TV's Larry King, Winfrey dismissed the allegations as unimportant. She said, "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." Frey has admitted elements of A Million Little Pieces are exaggerated: "The book is about drug addiction and alcoholism. The emotional truth is there."