Elisabeth Hasselbeck Sued for Stealing Book Idea (Wait, Hasselbeck has Ideas?)

Oh look at Elisabeth Hasselbeck holding back that massive wall of mean gluten-filled food. It almost looks like she's really doing it! Hey, I bet that's the same face she makes when Tim says "No" to another trip to Pottery Barn. This image, by the way, is the cover of Elisabeth's new book: The G Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide.

Wow, who knew she had a book? Not me, but apparently The View cohost published this book just this past May. Obviously the book is about living a gluten-free life which doesn't appeal to this here lover of baked goods, so no wonder I didn't know about it. Well, that and the fact that she and anything she does annoys the living daylights out of me and is avoided as much as possible. I swear, if I'm ever forced to watch The View again, I'll shove pencils in my ears.

Anyhow, it turns out a writer named Susan Hassett claims that she wrote a book called Living with Celiac Disease back in April 2008, heard that Elisabeth Hasselbeck had Celiac disease, sent her a copy with well wishes, and never heard back from her or anyone else connected with The View or ABC. Then, lo and behold, 13 months later Hasselbeck publishes a book that bears an eerie resemblance to the one that Susan Hassett sent to The View cohost.

In a letter sent to ABC, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and everyone that matters, including Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters, Hassett's lawyer lays it all out using direct quotes between the two books and a gentle "we are willing to talk settlement" nudge to state their intention to proceed legally if ignored. I always love how money soothes the hurt of intellectual theft.

Parallels between the books are outlined in the letter, including chapter names, tips, ideas, language, framework, and phrasing which is all pointed out in "gotcha" detail. After reading through them myself, I do see a lot of coincidences -- though really, how many different ways are there to say "What is Celiac Disease?" and use it as a chapter title? But still, there is a resemblance between the books and that would get my knickers in a knot if I was in the same situation.

If these allegations / charges are proven in a court of law then I'll just have more reason to be annoyed by Elisabeth. Heck, I bet she made the same face that's on her book cover while talking to her "people" about this snafu. In a statement released regarding the allegations, Hasselbeck is said to be "disappointed at this attempt to discredit her work".

Hey, am I the only one who finds it weird that Oprah was copied on the letter from the lawyer? I bet she gets copied on everything from the Vatican down.

source

Comments

[Nickie]

Glad I'm not the only one who can't stand her. I refuse to watch The View (although she's not 100% to blame... it's a waste of air time, really). The sound of her voice makes me want to scratch my eyeballs out.

I think it's quite funny that she's being accused of stealing. If it is true, I highly doubt she will ever admit it. Why would Miss Goody-good ever admit to doing anything wrong? (Ugh... I really just don't like her!)

[Katie Kat]

She's right up there with Speidi and Sarah Palin for me. GET ME A RAZOR BLADE SO I CAN GAUGE MY EYEBALLS!

This chick never had an authentic original thought in her life. I say she's guilty. *BAM!*

[michele]

yea, why was oprah copied? what does she have to do with anything? odd.

dude--did you see the view before the election--it was like having a camera set up in the looney bin!

[motherbumper]

Why aren't I surprised that other people want to self-harm when exposed to Hasselbeck?

You are so right, she will never admit to stealing (someone will probably pay and bury, don'tcha think?)

[motherbumper]

I'd actually take Speidi over Hasselbeck which speaks volumes on my masochistic punishments. The things I do to find gossip *sigh*

[motherbumper]

I would have watched if it had actually been a camera in the looney bin. At least the coverage would have been honest.

[Mouse]

Another slice of irony in this is that Hasselbeck had a ghost writer on this book (I'm pretty sure). So she probably didn't even write the words she's being accused of plagiarizing. Also, the one tip I saw as an example of her copying was about shopping around the outside of the grocery store--I only see that one in EVERY list of tips for healthy eating. So I'm wondering how solid this case actually is.

Not that I even want to sound like I'm defending her. She makes my ears bleed and I would never buy her book (despite eating mostly gluten-free due to an intolerance). So I'm rooting for a truly heinous revelation.

[motherbumper]

There was parts in the letter to ABC that made have some doubts too but there were passages that were almost verbatim so I'm rooting for heinous revelation too - whoot whoot! Though if Oprah is involved I doubt we will know what really happened - I swear she's Illuminati y'all.

[Palinode]

In all fairness, Hasselbeck probably thought the Lord had sent her the book to hand to a ghostwriter to plagiarize. When you're favoured by Hasselbeck's version of Jesus, you're entitled to do whatever the hell you please and make money off it.

Actually, Hasselbeck probably figures that she's done the world a favour, by taking Hassett's work and giving it a much bigger audience by putting her own name on it. And now she's doing Hassett a favour by (likely) settling out of court with her. It's win-win-win! The third win is for us, except Hasselbeck's continued existence is a clear sign that we have already lost.

[motherbumper]

And when you say the Lord, you mean Oprah right?

[Palinode]

Sorry, is there some non-Oprah version of The Lord? Because if there is I don't want to know.

[motherbumper]

Well these heathens once tried to convince me there was another version of The Lord but when they showed me where you could praise The Lord I knew they were full of it (it wasn't an KFC).

[Suzy Q]

You know what? Money CAN soothe the pain of intellectual theft sometimes. This completely unknown woman wrote a completely unknown book (and I believe self-published it), that no one would EVER buy, but now that Hasselbeck has (allegedly) stolen from it? Gold.

I am not in any way cheerleading for Hasselbeck. Hate her and her whiny know-it-all-ness.

[DianaCLT]

Much like the cookbook that Jessica Seinfeld wrote...touted it like mad, and was promptly sued by an unknown who clearly was plagiarized. Whatever happened to that lawsuit? I think I need to Google.

[katie]

I'd bet that the Jessica Seinfeld lawsuit was buried under a pile of money, much like this one probably will be if it makes it any further into the courtroom.