Julie Myerson’s son denies stoner claim

The son of the novelist Julie Myerson has responded to his mother's extraordinary claim that she had thrown her 20-year-old son out of the family's South London home because he'd become addicted to cannabis.

Jake Myerson (pictured) has completely denied her claim that he is an out-of-control stoner - a source of potential embarrassment, because Myerson will this month publish a book entirely based on the traumas of their troubled relationship in a book called The Lost Son.

Speaking to the London Evening Standard, Jake said: "Basically, my parents are very naive and got caught up in the whole US anti-drugs thing. There is a very big difference between smoking a spliff and being a drug addict. They are very naive people and slightly insane. They overreacted. They are very emotional people and I refuse to have anything to do with them."

Young Myerson, who describes himself as a libertarian and works in the music industry, was thrown out of his home two years ago for apparently becoming addicted to cannabis and becoming violent and abusive. His mother and father, the playwright and journalist Jonathan Myerson, claimed that they had been very worried about his influence on their two younger children during the past five years.

Jake contradicts this version of events, accusing his Man Booker Prize nominated mum of exploiting his personal life to shift copies of her book. "I did see a copy of the book and I said, 'Is there any way to stop you publishing this?' and she said, 'No,' and has taken that as some sort of tacit agreement. It is definitely not an agreement."

He said that the first time he spoke to his parents in more than a year was at the weekend after a story about him and the new book appeared in a Sunday newspaper. "I have not talked to them for a year until Sunday," he said. "The article does not make me incredibly happy. That, plus my mother's madness, means it all gets quite exciting.

"If what I do is any different to what 40 per cent of the nation does, then put me on a stake and burn me." ·