Nicholas Sparks, the author behind popular romance stories A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, and more, is finding himself writing not about love but hate — his own.
The novelist has finally responded to the controversy surrounding alleged emails from his legal battle with the former headmaster of a school he co-founded.
As we reported, the shocking lawsuit alleges anti-LGBT discrimination, racism, and anti-Semitism behavior at the Epiphany School of Global Studies. Saul Benjamin, who came on as CEO and headmaster of the school, claims he quickly noted that the place was lacking diversity, taking it upon himself to implement change, according to The Daily Beast.
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One of the major points revealed by the lawsuit has Sparks allegedly firing off an email to Benjamin where he is adamant about NOT allowing an LGBT club at the school — even adding why he believed his decision wasn’t discriminatory or illegal.
On Monday, Nicholas released a lengthy statement, sharing his “regret” for his words:
“As someone who has spent the better part of my life as a writer who understands the power of words, I regret and apologize that mine have potentially hurt young people and members of the LGBTQ community, including my friends and colleagues in that community.”
Sparks continued, confirming he is the author behind the shocking messages:
“Thirteen years ago, I founded the Epiphany School of Global Studies anchored in the commandment to love God and your neighbor as you love yourself. I am currently engaged in a several years-long lawsuit with a former headmaster of the school. As a result of that suit, several e-mails from me have been released to the public that on the surface, portray me as someone intolerant of having an LGBTQ club at the school. Unfortunately, the ongoing lawsuit constrains what I can reveal about the specific circumstances six years ago that gave rise to these emails, but I very much want to articulate my beliefs and share where my heart is on this matter.”
The 53-year-old further explained the LGBTQ community has his support:
“I believe in the school’s founding principle of loving God and thy neighbor as thyself, and that includes members of the LGBTQ community. I believe in and unreservedly support the principle that all individuals should be free to love, marry and have children with the person they choose, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. This is and has always been a core value of mine.
I am an unequivocal supporter of gay marriage, gay adoption, and equal employment rights and would never want to discourage any young person or adult from embracing who they are.“
While the writer claimed he couldn’t release any new details about the lawsuit, he did attempt to share some context behind his emails:
“When in one of my emails I used language such as ‘there will never be an LGBT club’ at Epiphany, l was responding heatedly to how the headmaster had gone about initiating this club — like most schools, Epiphany has procedures and policies for establishing any student club.
My concern was that if a club were to be founded, it be done in a thoughtful, transparent manner with the knowledge of faculty, students and parents — not in secret, and not in a way that felt exceptional. I only wish I had used those exact words. Similarly, when I referred to a prior headmaster addressing the presence of gay students ‘quietly and wonderfully,’ I meant that he supported them in a straightforward, unambiguous way — NOT that he in any way encouraged students to be silent about their gender identity or sexual orientation.”
Continuing to address the controversy, he finished with:
“In 2013 I was embroiled in a rapidly escalating conflict and besieged by vociferous complaints about a wide range of incidents involving the headmaster’s behavior. Ironically, as a writer I should have understood the power and enduring nature of my words, but like many people sent emails off in haste under stressful and tumultuous conditions. My greatest regret, however, is not my lack of deliberation, but first and foremost that I failed to be more unequivocal about my support for the students in question.
It’s never been my intent to be unresponsive to the needs of the LGBTQ or any minority community. In fact the opposite is true, and I trust my actions moving forward will confirm that.
Sincerely, Nicholas Sparks”
An attorney for Benjamin and Partner at Wigdor LLP, Lawrence M. Pearson, has already responded to Sparks’ new account, writing:
“The emails continue to speak for themselves and demonstrate Nicholas Sparks’s unmistakable lack of support for an LGBT club or the students affected by anti-LGBTQ+ bullying at the school.
This new and belated statement by Mr. Sparks will be subject to cross-examination at trial, where it will be contrasted with other statements he has made on the subject of LGBTQ+ inclusion. We are confident that a jury will find Mr. Sparks and the other Defendants liable for their unlawful actions in August.”
This drama is far from over.
Are U buying Sparks’ apology or do U think he’s just trying to backtrack now that the emails have been released?
Let us know in the comments (below)!
[Image via Nicky Nelson/WENN]
