OJ Book Publisher Renamed

NEW YORK (January 17, 2007) — Bye-bye, ReganBooks.

The sensational HarperCollins imprint of Judith Regan, the publisher who nearly brought us O.J. Simpson’s imaginary “confession” to murder, has been temporarily renamed “HC” and in the fall will be dispersed throughout the company.

“We feel our authors will be best served by being integrated into HarperCollins,” Michael Morrison, president and group publisher of Harper/Morrow said Wednesday in a statement. “Our talented, dedicated staff will work hard to ensure a seamless transition.”

Regan’s lucrative, scandalous reign at ReganBooks ended abruptly when she was fired last December amid allegations that she made anti-Semitic remarks to a HarperCollins lawyer. In November, Regan’s planned Simpson book and television interview were canceled by corporate head Rupert Murdoch of News Corp. in response to widespread public outrage.

Regan has denied making any inappropriate remarks and her lawyer, Bert Fields, has said she plans to sue her former employer for wrongful dismissal and, possibly, for libel.

Her many best sellers have included Jenna Jameson’s “How to Make Love Like a Porn Star,” Gregory Maguire’s “Wicked” and Jose Canseco’s “Juiced.”