Clifford Irving's fake Hughes autobiography and the 1972 Hughes phone press conference exposed the hoax
Documented · occurred What these labels mean →Clifford Irving's 'autobiography' of Howard Hughes was a fabrication. Irving's wife, Edith Irving, opened a Zurich bank account for the publisher's advance using a forged passport in the name Helga R. Hughes; Hughes surfaced in a telephone conference with reporters to repudiate the book and say he had never met Irving. In March 1972 the Irvings pleaded guilty to conspiracy in federal court, and in state court to conspiracy and grand larceny; Irving served 17 months in federal prison.
Evidence
| Relation | Record | Note |
|---|---|---|
| documents | wral.com | New York Times obituary by William Grimes (21 Dec 2017), as carried by WRAL: Zurich account 'opened by Irving's wife, Edith Irving … using a forged passport with the name Helga R. Hughes'; 'In March 1972, the Irvings pleaded guilty to conspiracy in federal court. In state court … they pleaded guilty to conspiracy and grand larceny' |
| documents | hollywoodreporter.com | Hollywood Reporter (AP), Dec 2017: Hughes 'surfaced to conduct a telephone conference with reporters during which he repudiated Irving's story'; 'Irving served 17 months in federal prison for fraud' |
Sources
| Source | Relation | At |
|---|---|---|
| Howard Hughes disappearance (Control Alt History) | reports |
Claim
Clifford Irving's 'autobiography' of Howard Hughes was a fabrication. Irving's wife, Edith Irving, opened a Zurich bank account for the publisher's advance using a forged passport in the name Helga R. Hughes; Hughes surfaced in a telephone conference with reporters to repudiate the book and say he had never met Irving. In March 1972 the Irvings pleaded guilty to conspiracy in federal court, and in state court to conspiracy and grand larceny; Irving served 17 months in federal prison.