Book author defends sources over Michelle Obama ‘hell’ comment

LONDON - The co-author of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy’s new book has safeguarded his sources over a passage that tells America’s First Lady Michelle Obama called White House life as “hell”.

Obama’s spokeswoman denied the First Lady said such a thing, and a spokesman at the French Embassy in Washington said Bruni-Sarkozy “distances herself completely” from the book.

The unauthorised book, called Carla et les ambitieux, or Carla and the Ambitious Ones, describes the scene of a dinner at the White House, during which the two first ladies were purported to have had a conversation in which they compared notes on their experiences.

“Don’t even talk to me about it, it’s hell. I can’t stand it,” the Scotsman quoted the book as claiming Mrs Obama said so.

Author Yves Derai stood by the explosive dialogue, insisting it was based on interviews with “reliable sources” - though he declined to name them, in accordance, he said, with his journalistic principles. “I’m not repeating what Carla or others told me,” Derai said.

“We’ve put in the information that we verified and compiled and we totally assume responsibility for it as independent journalists,” Derai added.

Derai said he had interviewed about 50 people and that Bruni-Sarkozy herself accorded the co-authors several interviews. (ANI)