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Dan Brown and his ex-wife Blythe Brown have reportedly settled a lawsuit, which the latter filed claiming that The Da Vinci Code author led a “secret life” during their marriage and had alleged affairs with several women, including her horse trainer.
According to court documents filed on Monday, December 27, 2021, the exes recently decided to dismiss the lawsuit and end "any and all claims and counterclaims in this matter." Blythe Brown’s attorney Harvey Wolkoff further confirmed the news in an official statement:
“Blythe Brown and Dan Brown have reached an amicable resolution of their disagreements, and will have no further comment. They request that their desire for privacy and closure be respected.”
No other details about the settlement have been made available to the public so far.
Why did Blythe Brown sue her ex-husband, Dan Brown?
Blythe and Dan Brown were married for 21 years before they decided to call it quits in 2019. Nearly a year after their divorce, the former sued her ex-husband claiming he was involved in “sordid extra-marital affairs” and he “secretly plundered significant sums of marital assets.”
The lawsuit claimed that the best-selling novelist lived a life full of lies contrary to his public image:
"Dan has lived a proverbial life of lies for at least the past six years, seeming to be the epitome of a world-famous novelist leading a simple life in his home state of New Hampshire, while in reality he was something quite different."
As per legal papers, Blythe also claimed that The Lost Symbol writer had an extra-marital affair with a horse trainer and diverted finances to fund her expenses.
She also alleged that the author hid several future projects worth “millions” from her knowledge, including a TV show and a children’s book and described his behavior as "unlawful and egregious."
At the time, Dan Brown said that the claims were “written without regard for the truth” and left him “stunned.” He denounced the allegations made against him during an interview with 'The Daily Mail' last year:
“She was throwing everything at the wall, hoping something would stick. We both know why she was upset and she had a right to be, but we were lonely and we looked for fulfillment in other places.”
The novelist also mentioned that his ex-wife received half of their shared holdings following their separation:
“I gave Blythe half of everything I'd ever earned and more on top of that.”
However, Dan Brown confessed to having an affair with a Dutch horse-trainer named Judith Pietersen and giving her a $350,000 Fresian horse as a present.
He also clarified that he began dating Judith only after ending his marriage and alleged that his ex-wife sued him “in order to inflict pain on the woman whom her ex-husband loved.”
The Angels & Demons author also filed a counter lawsuit against Blythe for libel and slander, claiming that her lawsuit was almost fictional:
“I'm not going to disparage my former wife like she has me. But the lawsuit was written with no regard for the truth. She received half of everything, more than half of everything, actually, and I'm shocked that she's coming back for more and I completely dispute her account of what happened. It's all been pretty sobering.”
Dan Brown also mentioned that his marriage had been “dysfunctional” since 2014, long before their divorce in 2019. Following nearly a year of legal battles, the exes finally decided to settle their respective lawsuits earlier this week.
Everything to know about Dan Brown’s ex-wife, Blythe Brown
Blythe Newlon Brown is an American writer and illustrator, who frequently collaborated with her ex-husband Dan Brown on several of his best-selling novels.
She was born in 1952 in Palmdale, California, and later moved to Los Angeles. Blythe previously worked as the director of artistic development at the National Academy of Songwriters.
Dan Brown met Blythe at the same academy when he was a struggling writer and the latter decided to promote his work using her experience and resources. Blythe reportedly accompanied Dan when he moved back to his New Hampshire home in 1993.
The pair started dating shortly after and tied the knot in 1997 at a remote location called Pea Porridge Pond in Conway. During Brown’s 2006 plagiarism trial, Blythe was named a key researcher behind his The Da Vinci Code in court.
The 69-year-old was also seen in cameo roles in several films alongside her husband. Dan Brown previously called his wife a “painter” and “art historian.” Blythe stayed with Dan until their divorce in 2019.
