Clay Aiken sued by author

The author of an "unauthorized tribute" to Clay Aiken is suing the "American Idol" singer, claiming he defamed her and conspired to stifle sales of her book.

Jeannie Holleman, 50, says she is a lifelong friend and neighbor of a Raleigh family that were friends with Aiken's mother, Faye Parker, and took her in when Parker and her young son left her abusive husband.

In the lawsuit, filed Friday in Wake County Superior Court, Holleman claims Aiken, his mother and others conspired to defame her and depress sales of her book by denying they knew her, branding her stories as lies and demeaning the book on Aiken fans' Web sites.

Aiken, in a statement issued by RCA Records, said Monday that he had "instructed my attorneys to not only vigorously dispute the claims that have been made but to also pursue all possible remedies against those involved in the perpetration of these untruths."

Holleman's 2005 book, "Out of the Blue -- 'Clay' it Forward," incorporates interviews from the McGhee family and her own recollections with stories from Aiken's fans.

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