The plaintiff identifies herself only as Jane Doe in the lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. An attorney for Griffin called the suit “absurd” and “meritless.”

In “The Tell,” published a year ago, Griffin writes that undergoing therapy using the psychedelic drug MDMA uncovered previously buried childhood memories of being sexually abused by a teacher at her middle school in Amarillo, Texas, in the 1980s.

“I knew that these memories were real,” Griffin writes in the book. “My body knew what had happened to me.”

The memoir was an Oprah’s Book Club selection and was also touted by Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff says the descriptions match her own sexual assaults by a different teacher at a school dance and in a school bathroom. The lawsuit says Griffin had reason to know about the abuse.

“'The Tell' constitutes neither a genuine nor harmless memoir,” the lawsuit says, alleging Griffin engaged in intrusion, invasion of privacy, publication of private facts, negligence and infliction of emotional distress. It seeks damages to be determined at trial.

The lawsuit also names Griffin's publishers and a ghostwriter as defendants.

The New York Times published a story in September raising questions about the book. It included people who expressed doubts about the reliability of the memories. The story also pointed out financial ties between Griffin and the prominent people who helped promote the book.

The plaintiff first learned of the existence of the memoir when the Times reached out to her during its reporting.

“She immediately recognized that the character of Claudia appeared to be based on herself,” the lawsuit says. “She further recognized that a number of stories attributed to the memories of Defendant GRIFFIN that supposedly resurfaced during MDMA therapy were actually her own real life past experiences.”

Griffin's attorney, Thomas A. Clare, said in an email: “We look forward to exposing these meritless claims in court, as well as the deeply flawed New York Times reporting that is at the center of it.”

“Just like the New York Times manufactured a false narrative about Amy Griffin and ‘The Tell,’ it also engineered the premise for this absurd lawsuit,” Clare said. “After two New York Times reporters instigated this whole situation by bringing the book to her attention, the Plaintiff made her own choice to publicize her narrative to a global audience.” He added, “For its part, the Times took full advantage, publicizing this inaccurate narrative despite receiving many red-flag warnings.”

Danielle Rhoades Ha, a Times spokeswoman, said in response, “We’re confident in the accuracy of our reporting.”

The lawsuit says that when the plaintiff was assaulted at the school dance, she was wearing a dress she had borrowed from Griffin. The lawsuit says the abuse would have been apparent to some people at the dance because of how she left and how she returned. It also says the dress was returned to Griffin with bodily fluids from the assault. The plaintiff also said she asked Jesus for forgiveness for the assault at a church youth group meeting that Griffin attended.

The lawsuit says she met with Griffin for the first time in decades at a California coffee shop in 2019, a meeting that is recounted in the book. But the woman said she did not discuss her sexual assaults during the meeting.

The plaintiff says she did describe the abuse in detail to a talent agent who called her later about her life story. According to the lawsuit, the agent told the plaintiff he learned about her and her stories through an unidentified third party. The lawsuit says the agent stopped contact when she began asking him too many probing questions about him, and that details from the conversations “found their way into ‘The Tell.’ ”

After adding another $42 million from international showings, the film celebrated an $88 million global launch in total, the biggest for an original animated film since “Coco” came out in 2017.

But it wasn’t all good news for big studio fare at the multiplex: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s R-rated reimagining of the Bride of Frankenstein story is flailing. A Warner Bros. release, “The Bride!” starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, debuted to an estimated $7.3 million from 3,304 domestic locations. It cost around $80 million to produce, not including marketing and promotion expenses.

The two movies were hardly competing with one another for viewers — one being a PG-rated family pic, the other an audacious, R-rated, genre-blending ride. “Hoppers” arrived to a slew of good reviews, while critical responses to “The Bride!” were mixed to negative and its audience scores weren’t much better.

“Hoppers” win was much needed for Disney and Pixar following last year’s “Elio,” which was Pixar's worst opening ever. The studio’s only major successes lately have been sequels and franchises, while “Hoppers” is a win for original fare. It also opened higher than 2023’s “Elemental,” which eventually went on to become a sleeper hit (“Elio” did not).

“Hoppers” had a reported $150 million production budget and opened in 4,000 locations. Directed by Daniel Chong, the movie is about a 19-year-old environmentalist who infiltrates the animal world in the body of a beaver. It features the voices of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm and Kathy Najimy.

“Hoppers” got a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, 75% “definitely recommend” from PostTrak polling and an A CinemaScore, suggesting it should have a long and profitable run in theaters.

“This is a fantastic original film from the incredible team at Pixar, and it’s wonderful to see audiences coming out with their friends and families to enjoy it together,” said Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, in a statement. He also congratulated the filmmaking team on “a tremendous launch.”

“The Bride!” had a bit of a bumpy path to theaters, with edits being made after reportedly poor test screenings. Its release date was pushed back from September, possibly to give it some space versus Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” which played in theaters last fall before hitting Netflix.

Men made up a slight majority of the audience for “The Bride!” at 53%. The movie currently carries a “rotten” 59% on Rotten Tomatoes and a lackluster C+ CinemaScore. Only 43% of that audience said they would “definitely recommend.”

And it doesn’t seem like international audiences will be much help: It made only $6.3 million outside of the U.S. and Canada, bringing its global debut to $13.6 million.

“Unfortunately, we came in light,” said Jeffrey Goldstein, who oversees domestic distribution for Warner Bros., in a text message. “We have a tailored approach to our slate, investing strategically in talent, IP and original storytelling. It spans genres and budget levels and allows us to back bold, distinctive filmmakers … and sometimes things just don’t work out.”

Warner Bros.' other recent release, “Wuthering Heights,” meanwhile, has surpassed $213 million globally. And next week, the studio, which is staring down new ownership under Paramount, is expected to sweep the Oscars between “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.”

“We’re coming off an incredible run of nine No. 1 openings in a row, and in an increasingly ‘risk-averse’ business like ours, we believe the business is better served with studios taking bold swings on originals like this one,” Goldstein said. “Even the 1927 Yankees had 44 losses that season.”

Paramount’s “Scream 7” landed in second place in its second weekend with $17.3 million, down a whopping 73% and bringing its domestic total to $93.4 million and its global total to $149.5 million. Sony's “GOAT” came in fourth place with $6.6 million while “Wuthering Heights” rounded out the top five with $3.8 million.

“When there’s this many holdovers in the top 10, it says we haven’t had enough horsepower in the newcomers to really get things moving,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends.

But he anticipates that will change when the Ryan Gosling-led sci-fi adventure “Project Hail Mary” hits theaters on March 20.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Hoppers,” $46 million.

2. “Scream 7,” $17.3 million.

3. “The Bride!” $7.3 million.

4. “GOAT,” $6.6 million.

5. “Wuthering Heights,” $3.8 million.

6. “Crime 101,” $2.1 million.

7. “Send Help,” $1.6 million.

8. “I Can Only Imagine 2,” $1.5 million.

9. “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” $1.5 million.

10. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castlee,” $1.3 million.

The Garde Républicaine — the grand barracks of Paris’ mounted police — had been transformed into a forest floor, carpeted in thick, damp moss that filled the air with the heady scent of humus.

In a Paris Fashion Week that still has Chanel and Louis Vuitton to come, Hermès made a case that luxury at its most persuasive doesn’t shout.

It simply changes the air in the room.

Models emerged from luminous circular openings in the walls, like figures stepping through a full moon, and walked a raised, winding catwalk above the vegetation.

It was theatrical, but never gimmicky.

The set did exactly what creative director Nadège Vanhée wanted: it knocked you off balance.

Vanhée, who has led Hermès womenswear since 2014, titled the fall-winter collection “Entre chien et loup” — the French expression for dusk, that uneasy moment when you can’t tell a dog from a wolf.

Her show notes invoked Hecate, the torch-wielding goddess of darkness, though the clothes were less mythological than muscular — precise, body-conscious, built to move.

Leather dominated. Fluid overcoats with enormous Tuscan sheepskin collars.

Zip-front mini dresses in inky blue that opened to reveal contrasting shirts beneath.

An orange ostrich-leather jumpsuit, belted at the waist, that merged biker attitude with Hermès refinement.

The house’s equestrian DNA surfaced in jodhpurs and flat-heeled riding boots, though the glossy lambskin cycling shorts paired with aviator jackets pushed the codes into harder, more urban territory.

The palette avoided the obvious.

Night, Vanhée seemed to argue, is not simply black.

Her colors shifted from sulfur yellow to oxblood red, forest green to iridescent burgundy — surfaces that caught and changed in the light like something alive.

Zips were everywhere, slicing diagonally across jackets or running the full-length of dresses — functional but also decorative, a way of suggesting that every garment could be opened up, reconfigured, made new.

Double-breasted blazers and cigarette trousers gave the collection a sharp tailored spine, while quilted silks printed with cloud-strewn skies offered a rare moment of softness.

The collection landed with quiet force.

Russian athletes are back competing under their own flag in the Winter Paralympics at Milan Cortina — after years of having to do so as neutral athletes because of the country’s doping violations and military conflicts.

Voronchikhina raced in the discipline for visually impaired athletes and Bugaev in the discipline for athletes with impairment in one arm.

“For us, it’s a really long time when we (were) without (the) flag, and I’m really glad and all my country and all my teammates, we (are) glad also,” said Voronchikhina, who is expected to be competing for the gold in other races at Milan Cortina.

Russia’s national anthem could be played for gold medalists for the first time on the stage of a major global sporting event since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukraine's anthem did play Saturday as the nation won six medals on the first day, including three gold.

Russian athletes were initially banned because of a state-sponsored doping program, and the sanctions had continued after the invasion.

“I’m happy, I suppose. First medal for me, for Russia, since 2014 from Sochi,” Bugaev said. “I won the medal for my country, for Russia. I’m happy to represent my country.”

Two other Russian athletes competed on Saturday in Para snowboarding: Filipp Shebbo and Dmitrii Fadeev.

“It was perfect," Shebbo said. “A good moment for Russia, for the athletes. Hopefully this will continue. We had been waiting for this for a long time.”

The Russian flag made its official return during the nations’ parade in Friday's opening ceremony in Verona, marking the first time it was flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, and signaling a possible full-fledged return to the Olympic circles ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

The Russian national anthem for a gold medal win has not been heard at any Olympics or Paralympics since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games.

There were some boos heard at the Arena di Verona when the Russian athletes entered the stage during the parade.

Voronchikhina said the Russians have been treated well by everyone so far in Italy.

“It’s really good,” she said. “And in the village all good and good atmosphere and good conditions.”

Voronchikhina did not want to talk about possibly competing against Ukrainian athletes.

Russia arrived at Milan Cortina with six athletes. The International Paralympic Committee gave wildcard entries to Russian athletes, a decision that upset Ukraine and a few other nations that boycotted the opening ceremony on Friday.

Ukraine's early success

Ukraine won its six medals all in Para biathlon.

“Glory to Ukraine. I’m really happy and I would like to dedicate my victory to all the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian army because nowadays in Ukraine it’s difficult times," said Oleksandra Kononova, who won gold in women’s sprint standing. “We have a war and Ukraine is fighting. We are also trying to represent Ukraine as much as we can. I’m really happy that today I have a gold medal so we will have the anthem of Ukraine here.”

Liudmyla Liashenko was a bronze medalist in the women's sprint standing.

“We are honored to represent Ukraine here and we are very thankful to our army protecting Ukraine right now," she said. "We also honor all the athletes and warriors who have died in this war.”

Liu would have performed alongside Olympic teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito when worlds begin March 24 at O2 Arena in Prague. Bradie Tennell was the first alternate but declined, so Sarah Everhardt will take Liu's place on the U.S. team.

The 20-year-old Liu, who retired after the 2022 Beijing Games only to launch a triumphant comeback two years later, became the first American woman since Kimmie Meissner in 2006 to win the world title last year in Boston. She followed up with the first Olympic gold medal for a U.S. woman since Sarah Hughes in 2002 when she stood atop the podium last month at the Milan Cortina Games.

Liu actually came away with two gold medals from Italy; she joined Glenn in helping the U.S. defend its Olympic team title.

Liu has quickly become a star, not only because of her success but also because her attitude and style. Once burned out by the sport, she returned with a fresh, happy-go-lucky outlook, and that positive vibe served her well amid the pressure of the Winter Games.

And with her distinctive streaked haircut, which is supposed to mimic growth rings on a tree, and prominent frenulum piercing, Liu has eschewed the “ice princess” style of yesteryear for a look that has been embraced by the alt, punk and emo crowd.

It is common for Olympic athletes to skip the following world championships. The season is long enough with the first events taking place in early fall, and many choose to begin their offseason early after the stress of performing at the Winter Games.

Among those who also have withdrawn from worlds are Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, the Olympic pairs champions from Japan; Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii, the pairs team that helped earn team bronze for host Italy; and Loena Hendrickx of Belgium, who has endured a season marked by injuries and finished 14th in the women's event at the Milan Cortina Games.

It will be Clark's first game play in about eight months since a multitude of injuries derailed her WNBA season with the Indiana Fever in July.

“It’ll probably take a me a second to knock a little bit of the rust off. I’ll probably be a little bit nervous, which I usually don’t get nervous but that probably comes from I haven’t really played basketball in a while," Clark said Saturday. “I’m sure after the first minute of running around on the court, I’ll be just fine. But more than anything, just really excited. I know how much work and how much time I put in to make sure my body’s as healthy as it can be and to get back.”

It's been quite a road back for Clark who played in 13 games last season. She had groin injuries and then a bone bruise in her left ankle. She's been in the gym getting ready, working with the Fever medical team and player developmental staff over the last few months.

“I’ve always been a person that’s going to just rely on my work. I feel like it’s certainly made me work harder,” Clark said of the injuries. “But that’s also probably the part that kind of stunk about it, is I felt like I put in so much time and so much energy going into last season, and then obviously, only appeared in about 13 games.”

Clark has fond memories of playing with younger USA Basketball teams. She recalled being in Colorado Springs in her teens and going into a room filled with jerseys of past American greats.

“My eyes were so wide, thought it was the coolest thing in the world of all,” she said. “(To see) the senior national jerseys of great men’s players and women’s players. It's a 15 or 16 year old's dream of doing that one day.”

Clark knows this is just her first step with the national team. There was an uproar when she didn't make the 2024 Paris Olympic team. She eyes playing on the World Cup team next fall and then in Los Angeles on the 2028 Olympic squad.

“There's a lot to get to that point,” she said. “Obviously that’s my goal, the World Cup before that. There's a lot for me to learn.”

It made every moment he experienced in his return as special as any he's had so far in his basketball career.

His homecoming at TD Garden on Friday night, a 120-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks marked his season debut almost 10 months after surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon.

“I had a real sense of gratitude," Tatum said. "Just being back on the floor and playing basketball again. It just kind of brought me back to everything I’ve been through the last 10 months, and the fact that I was able to even be out there today was a really big win for me.”

It also was a reminder — to everyone — that the player who helped bring Boston a 2024 NBA championship and has five All-NBA and eight All-Star selections, will need time before he's fully back to being himself.

Tatum had 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 12 rebounds and seven assists in an at times rusty 27 minutes. He played in five- and six-minute spurts in his first game since suffering the injury in during Game 4 of Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to New York in May.

Tatum, who turned 28 this week, said his return to the court would be a home game. He made good on that promise.

He missed his first six shots, but also made five straight at one point.

“Nights and days I dreamed abut this moment," Tatum said. “The anticipation. The crowd. It’s been 42 1/2 weeks since I played an NBA game. Just trying to get caught up on the speed and everything.. I felt like maybe I was a step off or maybe too fast. But the game started to slow down once I started moving around a little bit.”

Tatum missed his first shot the night, misfiring a jumper off the back of the rim on Boston’s second trip down the floor.

He’d make his first contribution to the stat sheet on the Celtics' next possession — an assist on a alley-oop to big man Neemias Queta.

Tatum airballed his second field goal attempt of the game – a 26-footer from the top of the key – before heading to the bench for his first rest.

Late in the first quarter Tatum briefly left the court with trainer Nick Sang. But he returned to the bench in time to re-enter the lineup for the start of the second period.

Even with the uneven start, he continued to look for his teammates, adding another assist and actively screening to initiate the offense.

“He came on the other side of this a better person, and I know better player. That’s all you can ask for,” Celtics coach Mazzulla said.

Fans rose to their feet in anticipation after Tatum got open and had a clean look at a dunk. He got hung up on the rim, though, a mishap he chuckled about a few minutes later as he jogged off the court during a timeout.

His scoreless streak was finally broken with 1:11 left before halftime when he glided in for a putback dunk off Payton Pritchard’s missed 3-pointer. After a Dallas miss, he followed that up by splashing a corner 3-pointer.

Several Mavericks players took moments during breaks in the game to welcome Tatum back. They included Klay Thompson, who gave Tatum a hug prior to the start of the second quarter. Thompson tore his Achilles tendon in 2020 while rehabbing from an ACL tear in 2019.

Mazzulla said Tatum' return has been building for weeks.

“From Day 1 it’s just been a constant conversation," Mazzulla said. "Throughout the process you’ve just trusted this journey. I give him credit. We always knew he was coming back this year.”

Tatum, who had surgery May 13, made his return to the court after 298 days.

The Celtics have 19 games remaining in the regular season, including 11 at TD Garden to try to ramp up Tatum for what they hope will e a deep playoff run. Boston is second in the East.

“I don’t think that any athlete thinks that they’re ever going to bet hurt. At least, I didn’t," Tatum said. “When it happened, it knocked me on my (butt). It just kind of made my rethink a lot of things. I had an idea in the direction my career was going to go., and in one night it changed. ... The things I want to accomplish are still in front me.

"I'm really just kind of happy that I even got this far.”

The Wallis announced Friday that Jean Davidson had been appointed executive director and CEO. Before joining the Kennedy Center in 2023, Davidson had served for eight years as executive director and CEO of the Los Angeles Master Chorale at The Music Center.

“The arts are where a community sees itself, and where it imagines what’s possible next,” Davidson said in a statement. “I’m honored to join the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Arts at this pivotal moment.”

Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell said in a statement to The Associated Press that she was among those who deserved “enormous credit” for their efforts.

“I have enjoyed working with Jean to cultivate new donors and patrons while cleaning up the financial mess at the (center),” he said.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Davidson said: “It has been a great honor to serve the NSO and to work alongside Gianandrea Noseda, Steven Reineke, the extraordinary musicians, and the dedicated staff and board. I’m deeply proud of everything we’ve accomplished together.”

Davidson told the Los Angeles Times that she had found it “more and more difficult” to remain at the Kennedy Center, “given the external forces that are at work that are just so far beyond my control.”

After mostly ignoring the center during his first term, Trump has made it a focal point in his war against “woke” culture.” He ousted the Kennedy Center's previous leadership and replaced it with a hand-picked board of trustees who voted to rename the facility the Trump Kennedy Center, a change scholars and lawmakers say must be initiated by Congress.

Renée Fleming, Philip Glass and Bela Fleck are among numerous artists who have called off performances, and the Washington National Opera ended its decades-long residency. Last month, Trump said he would move to close the center this summer for construction he expects to last two years.

At the Wallis, Davidson succeeds Robert van Leer, who recently left to join the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as performing arts program director.

The announcement follows a series of extensions driven by strong audience demand, building on prior runs that pushed the production past its initial closing dates. Tickets for the new block through July 2026 are available now via the official website, www.masqueradenyc.com.

Directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus, Masquerade plants audiences directly into the world of Gaston Leroux's novel as adapted into Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical, with lyrics by Charles Hart and additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, and book by Stilgoe and Webber. The production unfolds across multiple floors of the venue, inviting small groups of about 60 guests per performance slot into interactive experiences, from masked balls to the Phantom's lair, complete with a chandelier featuring over 30,000 crystals from Preciosa, the official crystal partner. M.A.C. Cosmetics serves as the official makeup partner.

Unlike the original Broadway production, which closed after a historic run, Masquerade employs six simultaneous audience groups each evening, requiring an expanded cast with multiple actors rotating in lead roles. Current Phantoms include Jeff Kready, Telly Leung, Hugh Panaro, Kyle Scatliffe, Clay Singer, and Nik Walker, with recent additions Quentin Earl Darrington and Ryan Vona. Christine Daaé is portrayed by Haile Ferrier, Erin LeCroy, Francesca Mehrotra, Riley Noland, Kaley Ann Voorhees, and newcomer Addie Morales, among others. New ensemble and supporting roles feature Dan Hoy as Raoul, Liz Pearce as Madame Giry, Cooper Stanton as Buquet, and Milena Comeau in the ensemble.

Producer and co-conceiver Randy Weiner stated, “From lifelong Phans to those discovering Phantom for the first time, audiences have embraced Masquerade, literally stepping into the world of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. With this extension, even more guests will have the chance to experience the Music of the Night like never before.”

To enhance accessibility, Masquerade has partnered with TodayTix for a digital cancellation line offering $178 same-day tickets starting at 9 AM ET daily, available via the app for up to two tickets per user. An in-person Black Tie Standby Line provides $170 tickets subject to availability, requiring formal attire to match the production's theme.

The creative team, led by Paulus alongside Hunter Bird, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and others including costume designer Emilio Sosa and lighting designer Ben Stanton, draws inspiration from the long-running immersive hit Sleep No More at NYC's McKittrick Hotel. Critics have praised the show, with The New York Times calling it “breathlessly exciting,” and The New York Post noting it as “a sexy, hot ticket.”

Masquerade officially opened on September 29, 2025, filling a void left by the Broadway original's closure and offering theatergoers a fresh, participatory take on the iconic story of obsession and mystery. The production is presented by arrangement with Lloyd Webber Entertainment and maintains social media presence at www.instagram.com/masqueradenyc and www.tiktok.com/@masqueradenyc.

While specific LGBTQ+ community responses to this extension were not detailed in available coverage, the production's emphasis on diverse casting—including performers like Telly Leung, a prominent figure in Broadway's queer theater scene—and its glamorous, masked ballroom sequences resonate with audiences seeking inclusive, fantastical escapism in live performance. The immersive format allows transgender people and other LGBTQ+ individuals to engage fully in the masquerade theme, donning attire that aligns with personal expression.