Who is JR Moehringer, the ghostwriter for Prince Harry's controversial book ‘Spare’?

Prince Harry’s Spare is arguably the most controversial memoir of the year. Harry in the 416-page book, which was officially released today, revealed several juicy tidbits about growing up in the royal family including being physically assaulted by his brother and King Charles being worried about him and his wife Meghan Markle stealing the spotlight. But like many other high-profile figures, Harry had help from a ghostwriter — US-based journalist and author John Joseph Moehringer. But what do we know about the 58-year-old? Let’s take a closer look: Also read: The big shockers from Prince Harry’s memoir: Cocaine use, killing Taliban fighters, messages from Diana after death Who is JR Moehringer? John Joseph Moehringer – who writes under his pen name of JR Moehringer – is an acclaimed American novelist and journalist. According to Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National News, , Moehringer was born in New York City and raised in the hamlet of Manhasset. He was brought up by a single mother in a home shared with his grandparents before moving to Arizona for secondary school. Moehringer graduated from Yale University with a BA, as per Daily Mail. He kicked off his journalism career as a News Assistant at the New York Times. He has worked for several American publications such as the Rocky Mountain News and the Los Angeles Times. According to the Daily Mail, his big break came with his 1997 Times article about the 1950s boxer Bob ‘Bombardier’ Satterfield, who he had discovered was sleeping on benches in LA. In 1998, Moehringer was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing for this piece entitled Resurrecting the Champ. This was later adapted into a film of the same name starring Samuel L Jackson.  

According to People magazine, Moehringer would in 2000 receive the Pulitzer for his article entitled Crossing Over. The piece examined a remote river town in Alabama that is home to several descendants of slaves. In 2005, Moehringer released his memoir The Tender Bar. The book details his childhood challenges, his relationship with his mother, and his struggles with alcohol. The best-seller was adapted into a movie in 2021 directed by George Clooney and featured Ben Affleck.

Moehringer resides in California’s Berkley with his wife and two children. Also read: Bombshell Alert! Did Prince William assault Harry, encourage him to wear Nazi uniform? Earlier collaborations Moehringer is not a newcomer to the field of ghostwriting. He assisted tennis legend Andre Agassi with his 2009 autobiography Open and Nike founder Phil Knight with his memoir Shoe Dog.

According to People magazine, in a 2012 interview with NPR about Agassi’s book, Moehringer explained his thought process.

“You try and inhabit their skin, and even though you’re thinking third person, you’re writing first person, so the processes are mirror images of each other, but they seem very simpatico,” he said.

Moehringer further detailed his collaboration with Agassi: “I had the wonderful perk of being able to call him, sit down with him, every time I came to something and didn’t know what it looked like or smelled like.” Moehringer in 2012 wrote Sutton, based on the story of bank robber Willie Sutton, as per The National News. His ghostwriting services cost $1 million (Rs 8.17 crore), according to Page Six. Also read: Prince Harry wants his brother back! Why his memoir ‘Spare’ makes a reunion with William impossible What is a ghostwriter? An individual who has been paid to write a book, an article, a speech or another type of written work on behalf of another is known as a “ghostwriter.” Although they may occasionally be recognised as a “researcher” in the acknowledgements, many ghostwriters sign confidentiality agreements stipulating they will stay unknown, as per the National News. The majority of celebrity autobiographies are written by ghostwriters, and hiring writers to write in the style of well-known and successful authors has become a regular literary practice. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .