Dan Brown books, and their associated films, are usually seen as fun, mostly harmless, adventures full of intrigue, conspiracies and hidden truths. Now, according to a new lawsuit filed by the author's ex-wife, Dan Brown's actual life doesn't sound all that different, as she's accusing The Da Vinci Code author of taking money from their joint accounts to "pursue a clandestine life."
Blythe Brown filed a lawsuit in New Hampshire on Monday in which, according to KXAN, she accuses Dan Brown of multiple extramarital affairs. One of which was allegedly with a Dutch horse trainer. The author is also accused of siphoning money from accounts shared with Blythe Brown in order to help support the woman, purchase horses for her, and help build her horse training business.
Dan and Blythe Brown divorced in 2019 after 21 years of major but the lawsuit is new because Blythe Brown says she only learned about the affairs after the divorce was finalized. She also alleges that Dan Brown hid assets from her during the divorce proceedings, including proceeds from a television series and a children's book.
In a statement, Dan Brown denies hiding anything during the divorce. He also asserts that he always gave Blythe Brown appropriate credit for her contributions to his work, which is another aspect of the lawsuit.
While divorce proceedings aren't usually what Dan Brown stories are about, the language of the lawsuit otherwise sounds like it could be one. The author is accused of living a "proverbial life of lies" as well as living the aforementioned "clandestine life."
While The Da Vinci Code wasn't Dan Brown's first novel where the character of Robert Langdon unraveled a centuries old religious conspiracy, it was the book that put the author on the map. It spawned a film adaptation with Tom Hanks in the lead role, and it was followed by an adaptations of the previous book Angels & Demons, and most recently by 2016's Inferno. The most recent film grossed a perfectly respectable $220 million worldwide, though that number was down significantly from the $760 million grossed by The Da Vinci Code.
In January, it was announced that one of the Robert Langdon novels not turned into a theatrical release, The Lost Symbol, had received a pilot order by NBC, to become a series under the name Langdon, which will function as a prequel following the adventures of the character as a younger man. It's likely this series that is being specified in the lawsuit, although the status of the pilot or the possible series to follow is unclear considering the massive Hollywood shut down.
We almost certainly haven't heard the end of this. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend as this lawsuit moves forward.
