Author out in jogger flap
Ex-prosecutor-turned-author Linda Fairstein’s publisher just wrote her off.
The best-selling Fairstein’s relationship with Dutton publishing ended abruptly Friday as the brutal backlash over her handling of the Central Park Five case 30 years ago continued to swell.
“Linda Fairstein and Dutton have decided to terminate their relationship,” read a statement provided by the author to the Daily News. “Fairstein is the author of 24 books, including 16 New York Times bestselling crime novels, as well as a nonfiction work that was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.”
Dutton Publicity Director Amanda Walker confirmed the split and declined to comment. Star author Fairstein’s latest book “Blood Oath” came out just three months ago.
The stunning announcement was the latest blow to Fairstein (photo) in a week where the former chief of the Manhattan district attorney’s sex-crime unit was forced to step down from her positions at Vassar College, the charity God’s Love We Deliver and the nonprofit Safe Horizon – a haven for victims of abuse.
Fairstein, 72, turned her experience as a sex-crimes prosecutor into a series of New York Times best-selling books with the lead character Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cooper. The books were translated into more than a dozen languages and became international best-sellers as well.
She also wrote the “Devlin Quick Mysteries” for middleschool readers.
But the Netflix debut last week of director Ava DuVernay’s take on the headlinemaking 1989 case ignited a firestorm of indignation over Fairstein’s handling of the prosecution. As played by actress Felicity Huffman, the former prosecutor is portrayed as deciding on the guilt of the five suspects early on in the investigation.
Fairstein’s office won convictions against the quintet, but the charges were later vacated when the man who raped the jogger came forward and was linked to the crime by his DNA. The five original suspects collected a $41 million settlement from the city in 2014.
Last year, the Mystery Writers of America took the extraordinary step of withdrawing a lifetime achievement award from Feinstein after other authors protested her role in the Central Park case. The Queen of All Media will sit down with the Central Park Five for the first time ever for a special in-depth conversation scheduled to air on Netflix and OWN on Wednesday.
The streaming giant and the basic cable channel announced on Friday that Oprah Winfrey will interview Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise — the subjects of the acclaimed four-part miniseries “When They See Us,” which chronicles the controversial case of five teenagers, labeled the “Central Park Five,” who were convicted of a 1989 rape they did not commit in the city.
Winfrey (photo) serves as an executive producer of the miniseries, which has an ensemble cast that includes Asante Blackk, Felicity Huffman, Michael K. Williams and John Leguizamo.
Cast members will also talk to the media maven during the closing night of Netflix’s Emmy showcase in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The series, co-written by Attica Locke, Robin Swicord, Michael Starrbury and Julian Breece, has become a lightning rod on social media, and has led to New York City prosecutor Linda Fairstein to be removed from her positions on boards of colleges and charitable organizations. There is also an online petition to end the production and sale of her crime novels.
Both interview sessions will be packaged into a “Oprah Winfrey Presents When They See Us Now,” that a Netflix rep said will be one hour. It will air at 10 p.m.