Elisabeth Hasselbeck Being Sued For Plagiarizing Diet Book
The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck is being sued by 'Living With Celiac Disease' author, Susan Hassett, for stealing material from Hassett's book and publishing it in her own book, 'The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide,' which was released last month.E! reports that Hassett claims in a court document that she mailed a copy of her "scrupulously researched" book, along with newspaper clippings, a note, a homemade cooking video and a business card, in April 2008—after Hasselbeck revealed she suffered from celiac disease, in which the body cannot process gluten.
Hassert claims Hasselbeck then simply "add[ed] 100 pages of fluff designed to make the infringing book a popular commercial diet book."
"There is no basis for the allegations," Hasselbeck publisher Center Street says in a statement. "Ms. Hasselbeck worked diligently and tirelessly on her book and is disappointed in this attempt to discredit her work and her ability to bring this important message to the public."
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by a reaction to a gluten protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Some symptoms include chronic diarrhea, fatigue and weight loss. The only effective treatment of the disease is sticking to a strict, gluten-free diet.
Hasselbeck has said she discovered she had celiac disease after returning from a 'Survivor' taping in Australia, as she wasn't eating the same foods she normally would in the United States and felt fine.
