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Sherrilyn Kenyon: Bestselling author accuses husband of poisoning her in 'Shakespearean plot'

Sherrilyn has further alleged her husband attempted to destroy both her career and reputation

Clarisse Loughrey
Thursday 17 January 2019 11:05 GMT
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A lawsuit from a bestselling fantasy author has accused her husband of a 'Shakespearean plot'
A lawsuit from a bestselling fantasy author has accused her husband of a 'Shakespearean plot'

Sherrilyn Kenyon has filed a lawsuit against her husband Lawrence R Kenyon II, accusing him of poisoning her for financial gain.

The Guardian reports that Sherrilyn, behind the bestselling urban fantasy series Dark-Hunter, has further alleged her husband attempted to destroy both her career and reputation, in what she described as a “Shakespearean plot against her”.

Sherrilyn is suing Lawrence, as well as two individuals employed by the couple, for up to $20m (£15.5m).

The lawsuit, filed in Williamson County in Tennessee, accuses Lawrence, with the cooperation of two assistants, of “assault by poisoning”, with Sherrilyn claiming that she suffered from symptoms including tachycardia, severe body tremors, hair loss, memory loss, crumbling teeth, “excruciating” stomach cramps and severe anaemia, which she claims were caused “by the toxins she’d been unknowingly ingesting in her tainted food and drink”.

She also claims that Lawrence and one of the accused assistants “would force her to eat and become enraged any time she failed to consume”.

After her husband filed for divorce, Sherrilyn says that she had her blood, nails and hair tested for toxins, discovering that her body had high levels of lithium, tin, barium, platinum and thorium.

She added that it had become “obvious that they had systematically poisoned her since 2015 … In March 2018, the longer Mr Kenyon was away from home, the better Ms Kenyon’s health was getting.”

The suit also accuses Lawrence of “intentional interference with business relationships [and] prospective contractual relations” and invasion of privacy, further alleging that the two assistants assisted her husband in embarrassing her in front of fans and isolating her from friends and employees. It also claims that Lawrence rewarded the two assistants financially for their assistance.

“It was unclear to [Sherrilyn Kenyon] why her husband... would orchestrate this Shakespearean plot against her when he was lavished with expensive cars and other personal services that could only be obtained through [her] career success,” the suit reads. “[She] now believes that it was more than the profuse insecurity and insidious jealousy of her success, but Lawrence Kenyon stood to gain millions of dollars upon her demise through life insurance and the value of her estate, including her copyrights and trademarks.”

Sherrilyn announced the lawsuit to fans in a newsletter, adding: “Rest assured, I am much better today as my symptoms have dramatically improved since this past March when it all came to light and the authorities were notified... But I and the authorities are still trying to determine who all had a hand in doing this to me.”

In a statement on behalf of Lawrence, through his lawyers, he said: “There can be no question that Sherrilyn Kenyon is a brilliant fiction writer, but it is apparent that she has irreparably blurred the line between fiction and reality. These astonishing and unsubstantiated allegations may stand as her best fantasy creation yet.”

“When Lawrence Kenyon filed for divorce a year ago, he wanted nothing more from his wife other than an amicable divorce. He is saddened that the stress of these proceedings has brought out the worst in such a talented writer. Mr Kenyon hopes that his wife gets the help she needs during this divorce process, and regrets that what would have otherwise been a private dissolution of a marriage has been shoved into the public arena.”

The statement further confirmed no charges had yet been brought against Lawrence by local law enforcement.

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