In case you missed it, celebrity sex tape and porn star Charlie Pattinson (A Current Affair) was in the news recently.
His new book, Life Less Ordinary, is a #1 New York Times bestseller. The media have been busy speculating about what happened between him and wife Nicole Miller after they appeared to have a spectacular falling out on social media (which can be read in all its glory here).
If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, here’s a quick summary of what happened: Miller accused Pattinson of being a “cheating, lying dick” in a string of fiery tweets. He denied the allegations and said that he and his wife had been arguing for months over money and infidelity issues. He said he was willing to set the record straight and give his side of the story, if only the media would give him a chance. They didn’t, and neither have we. But now that he’s finally told his story, here’s what we know.
The Real Story Behind The Scenes
While most people were tuning into A Current Affair to see if Nicole and Charlie would make up despite their Twitter beef, viewers were actually getting a glimpse of a much darker story.
In the new season premiere of Life Less Ordinary, we see that Charlie is dealing with a lot more than just a public feud with his wife. He’s actually been battling depression and anxiety since the accident that took the life of his beloved son Jack. (The family recently lost another child to illness.)
Nicole and Charlie are still trying to cope with the heartbreaking loss of their children, and in the episodes leading up to the season premiere, we see the couple struggling to find happiness. It’s an incredibly delicate and emotional series that makes for compelling television.
How Was Jack’s Death Really Devastating To The Family?
Jack was a 14-year-old student when he was killed in an accident during a school trip to Thailand in 2009. (He was on a school trip with his class as part of their studies on English and Thai culture. Apparently, he strayed off the planned route and got lost. Local villagers found his body a day later.)
The teenager’s sudden and tragic death left an indelible mark on the family. In an interview with People, Nicole stated, “His death was devastating, not just to us as a family but to all his friends and the community. Everyone still remembers him and speaks about him often.” She continued, “It’s hard to put into words how much his death still affects us all. As a family, we’ve had to grow stronger and learn to rely on each other more. It’s like Jack is still with us, in a way. When we need someone to talk to, we can always go back to his example and learn from his mistakes.”
The fact that Jack died in a tragic accident has made his parents’ grief even more profound. To see them struggle with their loss is heartbreaking. In one scene from Life Less Ordinary, we see Nicole breaking down in tears as she remembers her son.
The Reason Behind The Twitter Spat
It’s no secret that the Twitterverse can be a brutal place. Anyone who’s ever lost a loved one to murder or suicide knows that Twitter memorials can be even more chilling than the actual events that inspired them.
The reason behind the Twitter spat between Charlie and Nicole is that the couple has been fighting for months over money and infidelity issues. (Miller claims that she’s been cheated on by her husband in the past, and that he’s been trying to keep their secrets hidden for as long as he can. So far, he’s succeeded.)
Although they’ve been having fights about these things, they still loved each other and remained committed to their marriage. It wasn’t until recently that their respect and affection for one another turned to rage. (Or perhaps it was always rage and we were just too afraid to see it.)
In the past, the two had mostly chosen to keep their disagreements private. But with the success of Life Less Ordinary, they’ve both had an opportunity to set the record straight. And they’ve taken it.
An Opportunity To Tell Their Side Of The Story
After months of being the unwilling subject of tabloid reports, Charlie has finally gotten the courage to tell his side of the story. But he needs the media’s help to do it. That’s because most of the country doesn’t know Charlie well enough to form an opinion about him or his marriage. (He’s mostly known as the husband of Nicole and father of their three children.)
The book isn’t just about his marriage to Miller. It’s a candid explanation of his life and how his children, Jagger, Savannah, and Jack (seen smiling in several photos on the A Current Affair website) have helped him through some incredibly difficult times. (One source described it as a “love letter to his family.”)
Whether or not you’ve heard of Charlie, you’ve definitely heard of his family. He is the son of rock star David and actress Grace Kelly. He has a fraternal twin brother, James, and an older sister, Elizabeth. (His parents divorced when he was young.)
His relationship with his father is one of the central focuses of Life Less Ordinary. In the book, Charlie candidly discusses how much he loved and respected his father. But he also describes how his father struggled with his addictions and mood swings. And it was a struggle just to survive as a kid.
Today, Charlie credits much of his success to his mother. In an interview with People, he stated, “My Mum is the most amazing person. It was tough growing up and not having a Dad there for me. But she made sure I always had food on the table. She believed in me and gave me the confidence to believe in myself.”
As previously mentioned, Jack was a victim of tragic accident in 2009. And although he was just 14 years old at the time of his death, he has certainly helped shape Charlie’s worldview. (It was his first time traveling abroad and he was excited about the experience. But he was also feeling a little lost without his parents. So he asked a stranger for help. The man helped introduce him to Buddhism, which helped change his perspective on life. Buddhism encourages us to focus on the now and not to dwell on the past. So although he misses his son terribly, Charlie feels a sense of peace.)
What Do We Know About The Book’s Sales So Far?
The New York Times bestseller lists are a goldmine when it comes to celebrity news. And it wouldn’t be a total shock if Life Less Ordinary hit the #1 spot on the bestseller lists next to Nick Carter’s The Luckiest Girl in the World. (It’s the same author and the two books are essentially about the same topic – finding happiness despite your extreme luck.)
Since its June 20th publication, Life Less Ordinary has continued to appear on various bestseller lists. It currently sits on the New York Times bestseller list for non-fiction, the Amazon bestseller list for both fiction and non-fiction, and the Barnes and Nobles bestseller list for non-fiction.
Here’s a list of all the bestselling books in the US since the beginning of June 2018:
Life Less Ordinary: A True Account of Surviving Against the Odds
If you’re curious about how much traffic The New York Times has received since the publication of Life Less Ordinary, here’s a list of all the stories that have appeared in The Times in the last few months.
The New York Times
As previously mentioned, the NYT is currently holding up a copy of Charlie’s book as they type out this article. It currently has a four-star rating on Goodreads, as well as an average rating of 4.2/5 on Amazon. Overall, it’s an interesting read that gives a unique perspective on the celebrity world. And while we wait for the dust to settle on the legal case between Charlie and Miller, it will remain a bestseller for quite some time.