AMARILLO — Amy Griffin has filed a countersuit against an anonymous former classmate who initiated a civil lawsuit in March 2026. The classmate's lawsuit alleges invasion of privacy, negligence, and infliction of emotional distress stemming from anecdotes in Griffin's memoir, "The Tell." The suit also names ghostwriter Sam Lansky and the book's publisher.

The classmate claims that several anecdotes featured in the memoir were not Griffin's personal experiences but her own, and that her name has been leaked through court documents. According to the classmate, she recognized details within the book that she had previously shared with an individual who presented herself as a talent agent.

In her countersuit, Griffin characterizes the classmate's lawsuit as portraying her as "a fraud and a thief." The complaint asserts that financial damages will be determined at trial.

Griffin's memoir, "The Tell," was published in March 2025 and became a New York Times bestseller that year. The book details an experience of childhood rape and sexual abuse and includes endorsements from Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Jenna Bush Hager. Additional blurbs were provided by Gwyneth Paltrow, Gloria Steinem, Chanel Miller, and Mariska Hargitay. A former classmate of Griffin's features prominently in the book under a pseudonym.

Griffin serves on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Board of Trustees and owns the venture-capital firm G9. She is married to John Griffin, a former hedge-fund founder. The text of the memoir notes that Griffin worked with a facilitator named Olivia for an MDMA session.