"Stunningly good, everyone fell in love with it. It's a book that appeals to absolutely everyone," said Marc Gerald, agent at Europa Content.
The agency decided to sever ties following a July 29 meeting when key details shifted, leading them to question the background of the work.
"We feel terrible for putting this into the universe and the firestorm it has caused.
The book itself is genius – however it came to be drafted, it's amazing," said Marc Gerald.
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In response to the deal cancellation, Falade denied using generative AI tools and cited racial bias within the industry.
He noted that other Black authors faced similar accusations this year.
"Three Black authors received major publishing deals this year, and all three later had deals cancelled or disrupted following suspicions about AI.
There seems to be a troubling assumption that when a Black writer produces work that attracts significant attention, the work could not possibly be their own.
Meanwhile, there are popular white writers who have publicly mentioned using AI for their writing processes and they're still doing fine," said Jerry Falade.
Falade reiterated his position and expressed frustration over the sudden loss of support from his representation amid public speculation.
"The accusations are wrong, and I am completely innocent.
I was on the verge of success, and then all of a sudden, there were rumors, but no one asked me anything.
I don't know why my agency did not have my back," said Jerry Falade.
