Posted on October 16, 2019 at 1:57 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
Ronan Farrow’s new book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, is unavailable through two of Australia’s biggest online booksellers, reports the New York Times.
Booktopia and Amazon Australia pulled the investigative report into Harvey Weinstein and other prominent entertainment figures accused of sexual misconduct after a man mentioned in the book threatened legal action.
Dylan Howard, the former editor of The National Enquirer and a current executive with American Media Inc., is said to have helped Weinstein smear the reputation of actress Rose McGowan, one of Weinstein's accusers.
Howard’s legal team disputes this, calling the claims “false and defamatory allegations.”
Farrow and his publisher, meanwhile, defended Catch and Kill, with the latter saying in a statement that it “has been meticulously reported, researched, and fact-checked.”
According to the Daily Beast, Howard has sent similar legal notices to booksellers in Britain, Ireland, and the United States; a First Amendment expert consulted for its article says the move could succeed in Britain and Ireland but is unlikely to find traction in the US.
You can read Booktopia’s response to the situation in the New York Times, though there is no comment from Amazon Australia.
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