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Da Vinci Code author settles ex-wife lawsuit alleging he had a secret double life

Couple divorced in 2019

Gino Spocchia
Thursday 30 December 2021 19:58 GMT
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Dan Brown, author of The DaVinci Code
Dan Brown, author of The DaVinci Code (AP)

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Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown has reportedly come to an agreement with his ex-wife following a lawsuit that claimed he lived a double life.

Mr Brown, who was accused of having extramarital affairs before divorcing in 2019, famously wrote the Leonardo Da Vinci-inspired thriller as a part of his Angels and Demons trilogy.

Blythe Brown argued in a recent lawsuit that her now ex-husband had behaved in a way that was “unlawful and egregious” and accused the bestselling author of secretly diverting “millions” in funds.

That, Ms Brow, argued was because her ex-husband had been purchasing gifts for an unnamed horse trainer. It was unclear whether or not he had been having an affair with the individual.

Court papers filed in New Hampshire on Monday said the couple had agreed to dismiss the lawsuit and “any and all claims and counterclaims in this matter”. No further details were given.

“Blythe Brown and Dan Brown have reached an amicable resolution of their disagreements, and will have no further comment,” an attorney for Ms Brown, Harvey Wolkoff, added in a statement.

“They request that their desire for privacy and closure be respected.”

Mr Brown said he was “stunned” by the allegations when his former wife filed them, and called the complaint “written without regard for the truth”. The author also rebuked her claims about misleading her.

During a court case in 2006, the publishers of the The Da Vinci Code argued that Ms Brown had been an essential contributor to the thriller, which was published in 2003. It came after two authors accused Mr Brown of “appropriating the architecture” of their book.

The trial ended in Mr Brown’s favour.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press.

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