The 6 Most Notorious Unauthorized Biographies
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Nothing gets the brain buzzing like the words “unauthorized biography.” It immediately conjures up a sense of transgression, of trespass, instantly making any subject more interesting. But when applied to the story of someone’s life, when does consent stop being important? If someone writes a biography of a long-dead historical figure, after all, no one complains that it’s unauthorized, for the simple reason that there no one around to authorize it.That doesn’t mean the unauthorized biography isn’t exciting—as these six titles prove, sometimes writing the story of a famous person’s life without permission is the best way to create an memorable book. After all, when you’re not asking permission, you’re giving yourself permission to be completely, brutally honest.
{{ product: 9780553386189 }}His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra, by Kitty Kelley
Perhaps the ultimate example of the notorious unauthorized biography. Kitty Kelley made her bones as a writer with biographies of people who would much rather not be written about. Taking on one of the most famously unamused and controlling celebrities, Kelley risked public attacks from his famous friends, threats of legal action, and pressure from the larger entertainment industry to write an unvarnished biography of Frank Sinatra, portraying him as a serial philanderer and cozy associate of organized crime. It’s publication was explosive, changing the way we perceive a legend.
Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography, by Andrew Morton
There are few more private and controversial personalities today than Cruise, whose association with the Church of Scientology and often erratic public behavior are offset by a public and interview persona that is closed-off and superficial. Morton’s unauthorized biography is the origin of many revelations about Cruise’s relationships (including the assertion that Katie Holmes had to “audition” for her relationship with him), his importance to Scientology, his authority within the church, and his sexuality. Cruise and Scientology threatened lawsuits and launched a campaign to stop publication; when that failed, they sent out a tsunami of denials and accusations in an attempt to discredit the book.
Becoming Beyoncé, by J. Randy Taraborrelli
Queen B is easily one of the most powerful entertainers of the modern age. As she easily dominates the music charts and dabbles in film work, her brand is effortless cool. And as with most huge celebrities, her public persona is carefully managed. Taraborelli pulls back the curtain a bit, exploring the rumors of an affair between Rhianna and Jay-Z, the infamous elevator incident in which her sister Solange attacked Jay-Z physically, and rumors that their daughter Blue Ivy was secretly adopted while Beyoncé wore a prosthetic baby bump. No one in the Beyoncé camp wanted this book to come out.
Saban: The Making of a Coach, by Monte Burke
You wouldn’t normally think being a college football coach, even for a powerhouse like Alabama’s Crimson Tide, would merit an unauthorized biography. But Nick Saban isn’t just any coach—he’s come to represent the modern way the game is played, organized, recruited, and sold. Forbes writer Monte Burke wrote a book to de-mystify the man who is as much disliked in the sport as he is successful, and Saban was not happy about it, hijacking a press conference on the day of its release to complain bitterly about “some person that you don’t even know trying to profit by your story or someone else’s story.”
The Lives of John Lennon, by Albert Goldman
John Lennon: musical genius, prolific songwriter, murderer. Wait, what? Goldman’s explosive 1988 biography of the former Beatle didn’t paint Lennon or Yoko Ono in a very positive light, alleging not only drug abuse but a violent temper that may have caused the death of original Beatle Stuart Sutcliffe (only one of several killings attributed to Lennon). Almost universally denied and decried by the people who actually knew Lennon, the book was a smash hit upon release but has faded over the years. Yoko Ono considered suing, but was advised that a lawsuit would simply be free publicity—a decision that appears to have been quite sound.
Anne Sexton: A Biography, by Diane Middlebrook
Although not technically “unauthorized,” Middlebrook’s study of the poet Anne Sexton was controversial because Middlebrook had access to audio recordings of Sexton in session with her psychiatrist. It’s one thing to interview people about a subject, something else for her doctor to offer up supposedly private and confidential therapy sessions. This is made even more horrifying when you realize that Sexton killed herself while under that doctor’s care. The book was a huge bestseller, however, despite—or because—of this scent of gross misconduct.
HONORABLE MENTION: Julian Assange: The Unauthorized Biography, by Julian Assange and Andrew O’Hagan
Finally, this nearly-impossible to find book wins some sort of award for weirdness. Originally fully authorized with a delighted Assange happy to talk to O’Hagan, Assange later apparently learned the definition of the word “biography” and disavowed it, claiming it was getting too “personal.” What kind of impersonal biography he imagined is a mystery, but when you read the book his sudden change of heart makes sense: the Julian Assange described in it is not a nice guy, or a hygienic guy.
Not everyone is interesting enough to have their life story written out. And not everyone who is interesting enough is happy about it.
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