‘View’ co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck says no merit to claim she plagiarized gluten-free book

Elisabeth Hasselbeck: No merit to plagiarism claim

BOSTON — “The View” co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck says a claim that she plagiarized parts of her best-selling diet book is “without merit.”

Hasselbeck defended her book “The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide” on Wednesday, speaking to the camera briefly just before the first break on the ABC daytime show.

Susan Hassett, a self-published author on Cape Cod, alleges in the lawsuit filed in Massachusetts that Hasselbeck lifted content from her book on celiac disease “word for word.” It doesn’t cite specific examples.

The lawsuit also says the books have a similar organization and chapter format.

Hassett says she sent Hasselbeck her book as a courtesy after Hasselbeck disclosed she had the digestive disorder last year.