Aretha Franklin is threatening to sue her former ghostwriter David Ritz over his new unauthorized biography about her called Respect. The book makes claims that she was sexually promiscuous while working the 1950s gospel circuit as a young teen. According to sources for Page Six, Franklin is "enormously upset by the book," which was just released by Little, Brown and Company.
Ritz penned Franklin's 1999 memoir From These Roots and now reportedly claims that during the editing much about the singers private life was cut, including that the gospel circuit she was on was known as the "Sex Circus,' which was known for "men-and-men and women-and-women hookups."
Singer Etta James is quoted saying, "I can understand Aretha not wanting to talk about that . . . Who wants to admit that you're praising the Lord at the 8 p.m. service and servicing some drop-dead gorgeous hunk of a singer an hour later? Aretha and I started out before we were teenagers . . . we wanted to experience it all. I wouldn't use the expression sexually active, I'd say sexually overactive."
The material from the book originated from interviews with friends, family, and associates. Besides the salacious details about this "Sex Circus," the book also details her inspirational journey that came out of loss and struggle.
Franklin spoke with Detroit News earlier this week about her disappointment with the book.
"There's a very trashy, trashy book on the street . . . It's lies, lies, lies and then more lies." Franklin adds, "I'm talking to a criminal attorney. If this isn't defamation, I don't know what would be."
She continued: "Celebrities give a lot of themselves, of their heart and soul, and time to performance and to charity. Then somebody comes out who blatantly disrespects you and attacks you, and tells a ton of lies. He even had the unmitigated gall to quote my (late) sisters (Erma and Carolyn) and brother Cecil). He has them saying things they never would say. My brother would have knocked him out."
Ritz gave his side of the story to Page Six saying, Ritz told us: "I spent 25 years researching Respect. I see my book as an homage to Aretha's artistic genius and an empathetic portrait of a woman who has survived and thrived in the complex culture of show business."
Franklin is currently supporting her new album Aretha Franklin Sings The Great Diva Classics, which was released last month.
