Gillian Anderson Says The Salt Path Controversy Was a “Huge Letdown”

Gillian Anderson has spoken further about the controversy surrounding The Salt Path, admitting that the dispute over the book behind the film was a “huge letdown” and had a major impact on its US release.

Anderson starred alongside Jason Isaacs in the 2024 film adaptation of Raynor Winn’s bestselling book. The book was presented as a memoir when it was published in 2018 and tells the story of Winn and her husband, Moth, walking the 600-mile South West Coast Path after losing their home.

The story became controversial in 2025 after The Observer published a detailed investigation questioning parts of Winn’s account. The report raised doubts about what had led the couple to become homeless and questioned aspects of Moth’s illness, including his diagnosis with the neurodegenerative condition corticobasal degeneration (CBD).

Speaking to The Times, Anderson said she was particularly disappointed because the controversy emerged just as the film was close to securing a US distributor.

“It was really disappointing, a huge letdown,” she said. “The story came out the week we were signing US distribution and Sony withdrew.”

Anderson said the cast and filmmakers had been surprised by the film’s success and had spent time with the Winns during its production.

“It felt like such a betrayal because we’d spent time with [the Winns],” she said.

She also questioned how the claims in the original memoir had been checked before the film was made.

“I was interested in the due diligence – like, how has it come to this? What degree of proof was there?” Anderson said.

The actor added that Winn had told the filmmakers they could not discuss a previous legal case because it was still ongoing. Anderson said she has not heard from Winn since The Observer published its investigation.

The controversy has also prompted comments from Isaacs. Speaking about the issue for the first time, he defended the film, saying that he and Anderson had made a “beautiful film” and that “much of it is still completely valid”.

The filmmakers’ response comes as questions remain over the distinction between the film’s dramatic portrayal and the disputed claims in the memoir on which it is based.

Following The Observer investigation, Winn’s legal team rejected its conclusions. A statement described The Salt Path as a “true story” and said the article was “highly misleading”.

“The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives,” the statement said. “This is the true story of our journey.”

The statement, also reported in a longer form by The Telegraph, said Winn was taking legal advice and would not comment further at the time.

Anderson previously addressed the controversy in an interview with Radio Times, saying the timing of the report had been particularly damaging.

“I think we were about to sign with Sony Classics [to distribute The Salt Path] for the United States the week when the article came out, so it sucked, and continues to suck,” she said.

The dispute has left the film in an unusual position: while questions have been raised about the accuracy of parts of the source memoir, its stars continue to stand by the film itself and the emotional story it sought to tell.