The veracity of the story told by the author of hit novel The Salt Path, a film version of which is currently in cinemas starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, has been called into question.
Over the weekend, an investigation by UK outlet The Observer cast doubt over events in the allegedly true-to-life Salt Path, a memoir and nature book about Raynor Winn and her husband Moth Winn’s journey along the South of England coast after they lose her home and Moth Winn is diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration (CBD).
The Observer’s report alleges that Raynor Winn, whose real name was revealed to be Sally Walker, was arrested after being accused of stealing tens of thousands of pounds from her employer. This is never mentioned in The Salt Path book, which instead says that Raynor Winn and her husband lost their home after being taken advantage of by a childhood friend of Moth Winn’s.
The events surrounding the loss of their home are also disputed by the report, along with the fact that the couple were made homeless. According to The Observer, the pair in fact owned a property in France that they bought in 2007.
The report also raises questions around Moth Winn’s CBD, a debilitating disorder that has an average life expectancy of 6-8 years according to neurologists The Observer spoke with. Moth Winn, who recently attended the film’s premiere in London, claims to have been living with the condition for 18 years.
The Observer’s report saw the journalist travel back to North Wales – where the couple owned their property – and landed upon one other person who was owed money by Raynor Winn.
A spokeswoman for Rayner Winn called the Observer article “highly misleading.” “We are taking legal advice and won’t be making any further comment at this time,” the spokesperson told us. “The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. This is the true story of our journey.”
The affair is an embarrassing and potentially problematic one for those involved in The Salt Path movie, which opened in May and has so far taken more than $10M at the UK box office. The movie is yet to launch in key territories including Germany and France while a deal is reportedly still pending in the U.S.
From director Marianne Elliott, and producers including BBC Film, Number 9 Films and Rocket Science, the pic stars Anderson and Isaacs in the lead roles alongside James Lance and Hermione Norris. Anderson and Isaacs have done a fair amount of press in recent weeks about The Salt Path and Anderson was touting it at last week’s Munich International Film Festival. The Observer reported that Raynor Winn is a co-producer on the film.
Deadline has reached out to reps for Anderson and Isaacs, along with BBC Film, Rocket Science and Number 9 Films, for comment.
Andreas Wiseman contributed to this report.