Steve speaks out on the recent publicity over parental abuse


The last post here mentioned that the article was all over the web about Steve's new book and an allegation of abuse by his father. I posted it because I post everything that might have some archival worth that comes out in the press or online about Steve. But, at the same time, it felt wrong to me. It's not that I doubted the fact that the information appeared in his upcoming book -- that would be too easy to verify -- but it didn't sound like something that Steve would have put out for publicity or to make a big deal of.

Now Steve has responded on his own website in the Random Messages from Steve section as follows:

Regarding abuse
There has been some publicity about my “confession” of abuse in my upcoming book, “Born Standing Up.” Out of over 200 pages, this passage is one paragraph, and it is followed by disclaimer that this type of incident never happened again and was not the pattern of my father. I cited it in the book only because my reaction to the event was relevant to the story of my stand-up. Of course the media wants another story, one that makes the book sound like a common celebrity abuse confessional, which it is not. The words “abuse” and “severely beaten” were not mine, but the additions of others who choose to jazz up the passage for their own purposes.
June 9, 2007

http://stevemartin.com/steves_message/message.php?page=1&

I have read just about everything that has been in the press and books on Steve for years. I've probably read more of it than Steve has. If you really want to know his attitude to his Dad, go read his own words about their relationship.
- posted by sookeyjane 6/10/2007 01:14:00 AM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS