James Frey Does Larry King

James Frey, whose best-selling memoir about substance abuse, "A Million Little Pieces," has come under intense scrutiny for alleged fabrications, has agreed to give his first interview since the controversy broke a few days ago.
He will appear Wednesday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."
Bridget Leininger of CNN said Tuesday that Frey, whose 2003 book became a sensation last fall after Oprah Winfrey picked it for her book club, would not be interviewed for the entire hour-long program, but offered no other details. Spokeswomen for Frey and for his publisher, Doubleday, declined comment about his reasons for doing the show.
Frey's book has sold millions of copies, making him a hero among recovering addicts. But on Sunday an investigative Web site alleged substantial inaccuracies, accusing him of making inflated claims about his criminal record and about his involvement in an accident that killed two high school students.
"Police reports, court records, interviews with law enforcement personnel, and other sources have put the lie to many key sections of Frey's book," according to an article that appeared on http://www.thesmokinggun.com.
Frey did acknowledge some embellishments to The Smoking Gun but his only comments since the story came out have been in a posting on his Web site, defending his work. "I stand by my book, and my life," he wrote.
Also Tuesday, Doubleday issued a statement of support:
"In publishing Mr. Frey, we decided `A Million Little Pieces' was his story, told in his own way, and he represented to us that his version of events was true to his recollections.
"Recent accusations against him notwithstanding, the power of the overall reading experience is such that the book remains a deeply inspiring and redemptive story for millions of readers."
Doubleday spokeswoman Alison Rich acknowledged that the publisher is in "constant communication" with Frey, but declined to discuss the content of those conversations or any specific allegations about his work.
"We don't deem the allegations necessary to investigate," she said.