Quadriplegic author hits out at ‘Me Before You’ film

Aquadriplegic author has criticised the film Me Before You after his biography appeared in the movie without his permission.  

Francesco Clark wrote about his experience suffering a spinal cord injury after a diving accident in his book “Walking Papers”, which, he says, features in a “key scene in the film”.  

“I was never asked if my book could be included in the movie, nor was I ever told that it would be included,” he said, according to Page Six. “While I understand that this movie is based on a work of fiction, my book - and my life - is not.”

Clark said he had received “multiple emails” from those who have spotted his book in the movie and believe he is involved.

Based on a bestselling novel by Jojo Moyes, the film centres on a rich high-flyer, who becomes quadriplegic after an accident, and his carer, who is horrified to learn he is planning to visit an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland. Clark says he has “worked tirelessly to show people that being quadriplegic isn’t the end of your life”.  

“While I am by no means taking a stance on the issue of assisted suicide, I feel compelled to express that I am angry to be unwittingly associated with a storyline that suggests the only option for those who sustain injuries like mine is death,” said Clark, a longtime ambassador for The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. 

“I had no involvement in the making of this movie, and am in fact saddened by the association. I will continue to spread a message of positivity and hope for those who have experienced spinal cord injuries, either directly or as a loved one.” A representative for the movie had no comment, Page Six reported.Moyes, who has a hearing-impaired son, recently told NPR: “I feel passionately that this should not be seen as some how-to manual.”

The film, which stars Game of Thrones favourite Emilia Clarke and Hunger Games heartthrob Sam Claflin, has drawn criticism from disabled rights activists over the plot featuring assisted dying.