Once upon a time it was a really big deal for an author to have his or her book chosen as one of Oprah Winfrey's on-air book club picks. Her seal of support meant that the tome was more than likely headed to the top of several best-seller lists. James Frey, author of the memoir of addiction, A Million Little Pieces, was one of those authors, but on Jan. 26, 2006, the talk show host confronted him for having fabricated significant portions of the book.
The deception was disclosed following a fact-checking exposé by the website The Smoking Gun.

“It is difficult for me to talk to you because I feel really duped. But more importantly, I feel that you betrayed millions of readers," she told the author during the appearance on her talk show in which he admitted to altering or embellishing what Winfrey once called "gut-wrenching" and "raw" experiences.
The scandal was not, however, the end of Frey's writing career. He went on to publish two novels.
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Follow Joyce Jones on Twitter: @BETpolitichick

(Photo: The Oprah Winfrey Show via ABC)