James Frey: Five Years Later, Part 1
Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios
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From the moment the controversy began to today, James says he never shed a tear over the ordeal. And even now, he says it is hard to find words to describe his emotions as the aftermath of the scandal unfolded.
Oprah: Were you free, were you frustrated, were you angry with me? Did you think you'd been set up?
James: I mostly thought to myself, "How did I arrive at this place? How did I get here?" This is not what I ever set out to do. This is not who I wanted to be. This is not what I worked a lot of years for. I think, at times, yeah, there was anger. There was confusion. There was embarrassment. There was sadness. A lot of times, the most profound feelings we have, I don't think we have words for.
Oprah: Yes, it's difficult to articulate it, particularly when you're in it.
James: There were all those things. It was really like a moment-to-moment thing. It was just, "Get through this. Get through this. Get through this. It'll be fine. You'll be fine. Get through it." I was feeling a lot of things. It was a pretty overwhelming experience.
Oprah: Were you free, were you frustrated, were you angry with me? Did you think you'd been set up?
James: I mostly thought to myself, "How did I arrive at this place? How did I get here?" This is not what I ever set out to do. This is not who I wanted to be. This is not what I worked a lot of years for. I think, at times, yeah, there was anger. There was confusion. There was embarrassment. There was sadness. A lot of times, the most profound feelings we have, I don't think we have words for.
Oprah: Yes, it's difficult to articulate it, particularly when you're in it.
James: There were all those things. It was really like a moment-to-moment thing. It was just, "Get through this. Get through this. Get through this. It'll be fine. You'll be fine. Get through it." I was feeling a lot of things. It was a pretty overwhelming experience.
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