The Salt Path star Gillian Anderson has said allegations that the memoir was fabricated felt like "a betrayal" after spending time with the couple. Anderson played Raynor Winn in the film adaptation of the 2018 memoir, which was released in the United Kingdom last year. It tells the story of how Winn and her husband Moth, who was diagnosed with a neurological condition, walked the South West Coast Path after losing their Welsh home.
But an investigation by the Observer, external suggested some of Winn's claims about the events that led to the couple losing their home were misrepresented. Winn previously described the Observer's article as "highly misleading" and said the couple were taking legal advice. The book and its film adaptation depict a couple who decide to walk the 630-mile (1013km) route after their home was repossessed following a bad business deal.
But the Observer claimed Winn - whose legal name is Sally Walker - and her husband, Moth Winn, lost their home after she took out a loan to repay money she had been accused of stealing from her previous employer, Martin Hemmings, an estate agent and property surveyor from north Wales. In a statement issued last year, Winn said she stood by the book's description of how they came to lose their house saying the dispute with the Hemmings did not result in her and her husband losing their home. Next month, the Salt Path film will be released across the United States by Rialto Distribution.
Anderson, who plays Win, and Jason Isaac, who plays Moth, have spoken about the controversy that clouded its UK release for the first time. She described the situation as "really disappointing" in an interview with The Times, external after spending time with the Winns. "We had been so surprised by its success: 'What, really, this film about two old people going on a walk?' It felt like such a betrayal because we'd spent time with [the Winns]," she told the newspaper.
The Times said she had not heard from the couple since. Speaking to Radio Times, external, Anderson added it was "very unfortunate" as the film was "doing really well in the UK – beyond my expectations". "I think we were about to sign with Sony Classics for the United States the week when the article came out, so it sucked, and continues to suck." She added that she hoped audiences would be able to experience the film "as its own entity" regardless of the controversy.
The Salt Path became a global phenomenon, but the story behind the book may be even more remarkable. It has left fans divided, those that still believe, and those feeling deceived. Earlier this month, Isaacs said that doing publicity for The Salt Path's US release was "going to be interesting" while speaking on the Kermode On Film podcast.
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