JT LeRoy - Personal Appearances

Personal Appearances

The controversial subject matter in LeRoy's work created substantial critical interest in the author, and various reporters and book critics sought out his identity. LeRoy, citing extreme shyness, refused to appear in public without being disguised in a wig, hat, and sunglasses. LeRoy would rarely speak in public and regularly hide under tables during his own book readings.

Interviewers were rarely left alone with "LeRoy"; his 'family' never left him alone for interview, claiming that they were "protecting" him from the temptations from his former life as a drug user. In an interview with The Guardian on January 4, 2006, "LeRoy" noted that he was "Twenty-three, er ... 24," when he would have been 25 years old, and was caught out when asked what Wiffleball was, although claiming in author's bios that he enjoyed playing it. The writer of the article, Laura Barton, quickly received an email from the LeRoy camp attempting to cover up the slip-up.