The author behind the bestselling non-fiction tome, "The Salt Path," was jarred awake by startling allegations exposed in a weekend exposé. Raynor Winn's narrative of traversing England alongside her husband, Moth, following the loss of their home to a fateful "bad investment," has long been heralded as a poignant and inspiring chronicle of resilience and the compassion of strangers. Since its March 2018 release, the book has sold over two million copies.
Penned as a factual account, "The Salt Path" meticulously documents the couple's destitute odyssey, camping along Britain's rugged coastline. Their exploit was lauded as so motivating that an adaptation, starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, premiered in U.K. theaters earlier this year. The film portrayed Moth's battle with a debilitating and terminal neurological disorder, corticobasal degeneration (CBD), which Winn claimed was alleviated by their expedition.
Last year, during the film's festival debut, Isaacs shared with The Hollywood Reporter, "Witnessing a story of individuals enduring nearly every conceivable adversity and triumphing both spiritually and physically serves as a poignant reminder of life's essentials—perhaps more bearable than experiencing such hardships oneself."
However, on Saturday, an investigation by The Observer unveiled damaging assertions from acquaintances of the couple, allegedly named Sally and Tim Walker. Winn had narrated to the world their home repossession due to a botched investment in a friend's venture. Yet, a former colleague of Winn's revealed to The Observer that she had actually defrauded their previous employer of £64,000 ($87,000) and was bailed out with a £100,000 ($136,000) loan from a relative to avert criminal charges.
The couple was also saddled with a £230,000 mortgage on their Welsh farmhouse, which they lost when the same relative sued them for loan repayment. The uproar intensified as medical experts consulted by The Observer doubted Moth's CBD diagnosis, considering his 12-year survival post-symptom onset improbable. Those who had found solace in Winn's claim that their 630-mile trek along the South West Coast Path had miraculously reversed the disease's effects erupted in fury on social media.
"I nursed my mother through the agonies of corticobasal disease," penned one reader on X. "From the outset, I doubted 'The Salt Path's' authenticity. Yet, it bestowed false hope upon people, all for monetary gain."
The scandal has stirred such indignation that many await comments from Anderson, Isaacs, and those involved in the film's production. THR has reached out to representatives of the actors, as well as Penguin and Number 9 Films. A BBC Film spokesperson declined to comment.
In a Sunday statement, Winn responded, "The Observer's article today is deeply misleading… We are seeking legal counsel and will refrain from further comment at this juncture." She continued, "'The Salt Path' exposes the physical and spiritual journey shared by Moth and me, an experience that thoroughly transformed us and altered our life's trajectory. This is the genuine account of our voyage."
