Gus Van Sant wanted to adapt LeRoy's first novel, "Sarah". Van Sant's actor buddy Michael Pitt took a shine to "JT" and they ended up necking in the car park. Van Sant also commissioned LeRoy to write a screenplay for his acclaimed movie "Elephant". JT LeRoy is still credited as an associate producer.
Laura Albert does not see what she did as a lie or a hoax or a masquerade. She refers to her unmasking as "the reveal". She has made various justifications for her actions in interviews over the years. One is that JT LeRoy was a valid artistic device - "art should confuse". Another is that the LeRoy persona was her own, unique form of therapy.
It is unclear what effect the unmasking of Ms. Knoop as JT LeRoy will have on JT LeRoy's readers, who are now faced with the question of whether they have been responding to the books published under that name, or to the story behind them. The identification of Ms. Knoop may also have repercussions for the publishing world; JT Leroy is under contract with Viking for a new novel, and Mr. Silverberg, his agent, said his books were on sale in as many as 20 different countries. Carolyn Coleburn, the director of publicity at Viking, said simply, "We stand by our authors."