Elizabeth Gilbert, the best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love, has revealed shocking details about her personal life in her new memoir, All the Way to the River.
The book, released by Riverhead Books, explores Gilbert’s struggles with addiction, a toxic relationship, and even her contemplation of murder.
Gilbert, now 56, became a global figure after the 2006 release of Eat, Pray, Love, which sold over 18 million copies and was later adapted into a film starring Julia Roberts. But in her latest work, she writes candidly about the darker chapters that followed her success.
After divorcing José Nunes, the man she famously met in Bali, Gilbert entered a turbulent relationship with her hairdresser, Rayya, whom she describes as an “ex-junkie, ex-felon, postpunk, glamour-butch dyke.” When Rayya was diagnosed with terminal cancer and turned to heavy drug use, Gilbert admits she also spiraled into substance abuse, using cocaine, fentanyl, morphine, and prescription sedatives.
In one of the memoir’s most shocking revelations, Gilbert confesses that she once considered killing her partner by disguising sleeping pills as morphine. She describes being in a haze of drugs and love, writing: “I came very close to premeditatedly and cold-bloodedly murdering my partner.”
Rayya died in 2018 at age 57, but Gilbert claims she urged her to share the truth about their relationship. While the memoir has drawn praise for its raw honesty, some family members of Rayya have criticized Gilbert for turning personal tragedy into profit.
All the Way to the River is already a No. 1 bestseller in the self-help category on Amazon, and film rights are reportedly under discussion. Gilbert is now embarking on a 23-city book tour to promote the memoir.
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