Clifford Irving
Clifford Michael Irving (November 5, 1930 – December 19, 2017) was an American novelist and investigative reporter. Although he published 20 novels, he is best known for an "autobiography" allegedly written as told to Irving by billionaire recluse Howard Hughes. The fictional work was to have been published in 1972. After Hughes denounced him and sued the publisher, McGraw-Hill, Irving and his collaborators confessed to the hoax. He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, of which he served 17 months.
Clifford Irving | |
|---|---|
Irving in 1977 | |
| Born | Clifford Michael Irving November 5, 1930 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 19, 2017 (aged 87) Sarasota, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist, investigative reporter |
| Alma mater | Cornell University |
| Years active | 1956–2015 |
| Spouse | Nina Wilcox
(m. 1952, annulled)Claire Lydon
(m. 1958; died 1959)Fay Desch
(m. 1962; div. 1965)Edith Sommer
(m. 1967, divorced))Maureen Earl
(m. 1984; div. 1998)Julie Schall (m. 1998) |
Irving later wrote The Hoax (1981), his account of events surrounding the development and sale of the fake autobiography. The book was adapted as a 2006 biopic of the same name starring Richard Gere as Clifford Irving. He continued to write and published his later books as e-books available via Kindle and Nook.