Aretha Franklin is reportedly set to sue the writer of a new biography and has branded the book as “lies, lies, lies”.
According to reports, the singer is due to sue author David Ritz for his new book Respect which apparently was not authorised and has left her extremely angry about its release.
Ritz previously ghostwrote the singer’s autobiography From These Roots back in 1999 but now, the 72-year-old singer is extremely annoyed with his latest tome which reportedly makes a number of claims about her sexual promiscuity including that Aretha’s tours were known as the “Sex Circus”.
“There’s a very trashy, trashy book on the street,” she said to the Detroit News. “It’s lies, lies, lies and then more lies. I’m talking to a criminal attorney. If this isn’t defamation, I don’t know what would be.”
Meanwhile Ritz has claimed that the book has been written as a tribute to the singer: “I spent 25 years researching Respect,” he told the New York Post. “I see my book as a homage to Aretha’s artistic genius and an empathetic portrait of a woman who has survived and thrived in the complex culture of show business.”
Aretha is currently busy promoting her new album which sees her sing a number of the big diva classics.
