James Frey, publisher reach deal with readers

Writer James Frey and his publisher, Random House, have reached an agreement in principleto settlea lawsuit filed by readers who said they were defrauded because of fabrications in his memoir, A Million Little Pieces.

David Drake, a spokesperson for the publisher, confirmed the news Thursday but added that the deal "requires court approval and may take several weeks and even months."

Frey's account of his spiral into drug addiction, his rehabilitation and his redemption touched more than 3.5 million readers and was included last fall in talk show host Oprah Winfrey's book club. Thebook became the No. 2 bestseller in 2005 in the U.S.

But details in the memoir were shot to pieces by the Smoking Gun website, which found evidence in January that he had made up parts of his personal story.In particular, Frey's details of his brushes with the law and relationship with a high school student who died in an accident were unverifiable.

Winfrey initially supported him, but as the groundswell of evidence mounted, she invited him back to her show and proceeded to reproach him in front of millions of viewers.

Under the terms of the settlement, readers who bought the memoir on or before Jan. 26, the day Frey acknowledged the fabrications, would be eligible for a refund of the full suggested retail price.

Frey and Random House are not to pay out more than $2.35 million US.

"We worked with Random House on whether to resolve these lawsuits and the desire to move on became a powerful incentive to resolve what are otherwise very weak cases," Derek Meyer, Frey's lawyer, told the New York Times.

To get a refund, readers will have to submit a receipt or some other proof of purchase. That could be page 163 of the hardcover, the front cover of the paperbackor a piece of packaging of the audio book.

They will also have to sign a sworn statement they bought the book because they believed it was a memoir.

There's no word on whether the settlement includes readers outside the U.S.

Frey's second bestseller, My Friend Leonard, is also a memoir. He has acknowledged that parts of it were also manufactured.