Hachette Books to Publish the Definitive Account of the Life and Death of Aaron Hernandez from Best-Selling Author and Hernandez Lawyer Jose Baez
January 30, 2018, NEW YORK – Mauro DiPreta, VP and Publisher of Hachette Books, announced today that Hachette Books will publish Unnecessary Roughness: The Life and Death of Aaron Hernandez, the definitive, insider account of the football star’s final days by New York Times bestselling author and Hernandez attorney Jose Baez. Unnecessary Roughness will publish on August 21, 2018 and be available in hardcover and eBook, with an audio edition from Hachette Audio. Executive Editor Amanda Murray acquired North American rights from Frank Weimann at Folio Literary Management.
Unnecessary Roughness is a true, firsthand account of deceased New England Patriot tight-end Aaron Hernandez, his tumultuous life and eventual suicide. Based on countless intimate conversations with Aaron, as well as with his family and friends in the year leading up to his double murder trial, Baez offers an unexpected portrait of the fallen National Football League (NFL) superstar. The book includes shocking revelations and previously unreported details about his mental state, including the catastrophic brain injuries brought on by years of repetitive blows to the head, resulting in the most severe case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) ever discovered in a person his age.
Unnecessary Roughness is written with the permission and support of Aaron’s fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, who remembers Aaron as her high school sweetheart and addresses questions about his sexuality as well as the CTE that ravaged his brain in her passionate foreword for the book. “This is the only insider’s story written by the man who knew him best at the time of tragedy, love, life and death,” Shayanna writes. “I’m glad the truth will finally be told.”
Jose was among Aaron’s closest confidants: “As his attorney I got to know the person, the father, husband and teammate Aaron was. There have been many accounts of the case and Aaron’s final days, but it’s time for the whole story to be told from the inside.”
And about publishing Unnecessary Roughness, Mauro DiPreta says, “Much has been written about the sensational case of Aaron Hernandez, but never has an author been this close to the key players and the man himself. The Truth about CTE and the role it played in Aaron’s downfall may never be known but we are proud to be sharing the truth about Aaron in the hope it will lead to greater understanding and some peace for all involved.”
About Jose Baez:
Jose Baez is one of the most sought-after attorneys in the country. He first gained national attention by successfully defending Casey Anthony in what became one of the nation’s most sensational trials; his Presumed Guilty: Casey Anthony: The Inside Story was a national bestseller in 2012. Baez is the founder of The Baez Law Firm, and handles high-profile cases across the country. He lives in Miami, Florida.
About Hachette Books:
Hachette Books is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. whose objective is to publish meaningful and provocative nonfiction. Hachette Books presents the leading writers in narrative nonfiction, business, science, history, health and wellness, pop culture, sports, and humor. Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third largest trade and educational publisher in the world.
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