The Da Vinci Code Author Accused of Living A Double-Life Right Out Of A Novel
A lawsuit has been filed against Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, by his ex-wife Blythe Brown. The couple was married for 21 years before getting divorced in 2019. Blythe assisted with a lot of the work that went into writing Brown's notable series featuring the character Robert Langdon.
Dan Brown has published five books in the series starring the symbologist, which began with Angels and Demons in 2000. The series follows Langdon as he gets wrapped up in the goings-on of different secret societies and solves puzzles based on symbols rooted primarily in Christianity. The series is now a multi-million dollar franchise, with three of the books - Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and Inferno - being adapted into feature films with Tom Hanks playing the titular character. The author is no stranger to controversy, as the religious themes present in these novels have outraged religious officials. However, the series has still sold over 120 million copies worldwide.
Per KXAN, Brown is being sued by his now ex-wife, who alleges that the author lived a secret second life throughout their two-decade-long marriage. Blythe claims credit for inspiring Brown's work and even coming up with the premise for the novels. She also accused Brown of keeping future projects hidden from her, namely a television series. While surprising enough, these allegations weren't even the brunt of the lawsuit. Blythe also claims that her ex-husband led an affair with an unnamed horse trainer, buying her many gifts, including actual horses, and even secretly financing her business. The lawsuit reads, "Dan has lived a proverbial life of lies for at least the past six years, seeming to be the epitome of a world-famous novelist leading a simple life in his home state of New Hampshire, while in reality, he was something quite different."
The author responded to her allegations claiming he was "stunned." He also said in a statement, "For reasons known only to her and possibly her lawyer, Blythe Brown has created through this suit a fictional and vindictive account of aspects of our marriage designed to hurt and embarrass me." The author has acknowledged most of his ex-wife's claims, explicitly noting that he never lied to her regarding their finances and even cited the fact that she ended up with half their estate following the divorce.
It will be interesting to see the effect, if any, these allegations have on Brown's career. Dan Brown currently teaches a Master Class online on writing thrillers and has several projects in the works. His children's book, Wild Symphony, is set to release on September 1, and NBC is currently adapting his book The Lost Symbol into a television series, Langdon.
Source: KXAN Austin