**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **

'Funny and frank, a chance to spend time with a brave and big-hearted woman who's grown up to be not so mean, after all' JENNIFER LARUE, WASHINGTON POST

'Grabs you by the collar and says listen to all that I have to say: about love, pain, motherhood, illness, celebrity and the tidal ferocity that pours through all our lives. Read it and be caught in the voice of one of our luminous stars' ESME WEIJUN WANG

The first story Selma Blair Beitner ever heard about herself is that she was a mean, mean baby. Although Selma went on to become a celebrated Hollywood actress and model, she could never quite shake the periods of darkness that overtook her, the certainty that there was a great mystery at the heart of her life. Over the course of this beautiful and, at times, shocking memoir, Selma lays bare her addiction to alcohol, her devotion to her brilliant and complicated mother, and the moments she flirted with death. There is violence, love, true friendship, the gift of motherhood and, finally, the simultaneous devastation and surprising salvation of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis.

'A fascinating exploration about the power of prophecy, of labels, and of one woman's determination to defy them all. Blair is a rebel, an artist, and it turns out: a writer' GLENNON DOYLE

'I laughed out loud more than I cried' FRANCES RYAN, GUARDIAN

About the Author
Blair is best known for her roles in Legally Blonde, Cruel Intentions, The Sweetest Thing, and Hellboy. She is also the subject of Introducing, Selma Blair, a documentary directed by Rachel Fleit, about Selma's life with Multiple Sclerosis, which was released earlier this month to extraordinary acclaim. In 2017, Blair was named a Person of the Year by Time Magazine for her courageous contributions as a Silence Breaker.

Reviews
A fascinating exploration about the power of prophecy, of labels, and of one woman's determination to defy them all. Blair is a rebel, an artist, and it turns out: a writer. * Glennon Doyle, author of the #1 New York Times best-seller Untamed *
Mean Baby, Selma Blair's brilliant book, demands attention. It grabs you by the collar and says listen to all that I have to say: about love, pain, motherhood, illness, celebrity, and the tidal ferocity that pours through all our lives. Read it and be caught in the voice of one of our luminous stars. * Esme Weijun Wang, best-selling author of The Collected Schizophrenias *
She writes with a ribald irreverence as darkly funny as anything I've ever read; urging on each page: 'Go ahead and laugh. I am.' . . . The benediction she arrives at is her own, as earned as her luminous passages. If you've ever felt broken or lost you'll find yourself on the pages of this book . . . The rejects and outsiders have spoken Selma, and we've elected you Queen. * Mary Louise Parker, best-selling author of Dear Mr. You *
Straight-up terrific - bold, intimate, sassy, profound - and a vital reminder that the hectic glitter of the exterior rarely reflects the hard-earned wonder of the interior. So, while you might reach for Mean Baby because of the author's celebrity, you'll read into the night for her candor, eye for detail, and stunning prose. In an embarrassment of riches, Selma Blair is as talented a writer as she is an actress * Adrienne Brodeur, best-selling author of Wild Game *
If you thought you knew Selma Blair, think again. * Marie Claire *
Jaw-flooring -- Helen Brown * Telegraph *
Written in vignettes and sharply observed, the sometimes harrowing subject matter never weighs Mean Baby down. At times, you feel like you shouldn't be having quite as much fun as you are but Blair has a self-awareness, wit and charm that makes her sound like a competition winner despite the difficulties she's faced. Dressing up in Princess Leia costumes with Carrie Fisher. Acne advice from Claire Danes. Rehab with Britney Spears. This is not a misery memoir - I laughed out loud more than I cried -- Frances Doyle * Guardian *



Book Information
ISBN 9780349013848
Author Selma Blair
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Virago Press Ltd
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 260g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 128mm * 24mm