Author Amy Griffin files a defamation lawsuit against a former classmate who previously accused her of appropriating the classmate’s account of sexual abuse for Griffin’s bestselling 2025 memoir, “The Tell,” according to multiple reports. The dispute centers on statements made publicly, including coverage in The New York Times, and on a later lawsuit brought by the former classmate alleging that Griffin used parts of the classmate’s story in her memoir. Griffin’s new lawsuit, filed in federal court in Nevada, says the accusations are false and challenges the claims “in every element.” Reported details include that the former classmate and Griffin were middle school classmates. Griffin contends that the person’s statements defame her by attributing to her the alleged theft of the classmate’s sexual abuse narratives. The reports characterize the matter as an ongoing legal fight involving both earlier allegations by the classmate and Griffin’s subsequent countersuit. The outlets do not report a court ruling resolving the claims as of the time of publication.