Joost: All the Links that Created an Overnight Bestseller (Including the Book Excerpt)

November 4th, 2009 by Amanda

As reported yesterday, Joost van der Westhuizen’s biography, The Man in the Mirror / Spieëlbeeld, sold out the day it was released. Here’s a summary of the links that drove the controversial book to its number one position - plus reports of fresh revelations from this morning - starting with the Sunday Times book excerpt that triggered the media frenzy:

The Springbok Rugby Legends organisation appointed Joost to be a celebrity host in the Virgin Atlantic box at Loftus Versfeld for the second test against the British & Irish Lions on June 27 2009.
Joost mentions that he had noticed from the Wednesday prior to the Test how he had continually felt tired and was very short-tempered with everyone, including, most unusually, his children.
He also claims not to have been sleeping properly the previous couple of months.
Being grumpy and short-tempered, he wasn’t really looking forward to hosting a bunch of Englishmen.
But, as it turned out, he found the Poms surprisingly good company.
Because he was on duty, he practised his old habit of opening his own beers and keeping the tops in his pocket so that he could tell how many he had drunk at a moment’s notice.
“Despite being in the suite virtually the whole day,” he says, “When I left Loftus I had three bottle tops in my pocket. I knew I had a meeting at home, and because I was actually working - and I suppose because I wasn’t feeling particularly great - I had carefully paced myself.”
Read the complete excerpt in the Sunday Times
Share your thoughts on Joost van der Westhuizen and you could win a signed copy of the book

The newspaper has since run several further stories on the Joost saga:

Former athlete admits to affair with Joost Former South African athlete Charmaine Weavers (Gale) has admitted to having an affair with former Springbok star Joost Van der Westhuizen, according to the Beeld newspaper. Keep reading.
Joost: I could lose Amor Disgraced former Springbok star Joost van der Westhuizen says he could still lose his wife Amor and his family in the wake of the infamous sex tape scandal. Keep reading.
Amor weeps on air over Joost revelations Amor Vittone wept on radio this morning as she spoke about her husband former Springbok captain Joost van der Westhuizen’s infidelity for the first time. Keep reading.

The Mail & Guardian’s Chris Roper weighed in with two satirical columns:

Joost is Hansie-lite Yawn. I didn’t see this one coming. Ex-Bok scrumhalf and renowned Cat-lover Joost van der Westhuizen has written a book called Spieelbeeld (in English, Mirrorballs), and suddenly he’s moved to confess that it was in fact him in that video that everyone’s forgotten about by now. Keep reading.
Jackie Selebi and Joost: The untold story It can’t be too long until Jackie Selebi and Glenn Agliotti are referred to as the Joost and Amor of the criminal world, in the same way that the latter couple are yearningly known as the Becks and Posh of South Africa by the poor unfortunate mutts condemned to write about SA celebs. Keep reading.

The Independent Group covered the story extensively, with videos:

Joost’s stripper was not the first - report Beeld has reported that former Springbok captain Joost van der Westhuizen cheated on his wife, Amor Vittone, with former Springbok athlete Charmaine Weavers, formerly Gale. Keep reading.
Joost: Why I lied Former Bok says he was confused Embattled former Springbok scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen says he lied about appearing in a sex tape and taking drugs because he was scared and confused. Keep reading.
I could lose my family, says Joost Not only has he admitted it, but he has also written about it in his tell-all book Man In The Mirror, which hit bookstores on Monday. Van der Westhuizen’s shock revelation to the biographer, David Gemmell, came out of the blue. It was not until the final chapter that the truth, that he was the man in the video, was revealed. Keep reading.

Here are further links from around the Afrikaans media world:

‘Hy moes dadelik net alles erken het’ Die sangeres Amor Vittone sê haar hart is “uitgeruk” en dit voel of haar “laaste bietjie energie” weg is. Lees verder in Beeld.
Joost: Dit was ’n web van leuens Omtrent alles wat van sy kant oor die omstrede Joost-seksvideo aan die publiek en die media opgedis is, was “ ’n konkoksie van leuens”, het die oudrugbyspeler Joost van der Westhuizen gister gesê. Lees verder in Die Burger.
Atleet bieg oor Joost Joost van der Westhuizen het sy vrou, Amor Vittone, ook met die oud-Bok-atleet Charmaine Weavers (Gale) verkul. Lees verder in Beeld.
Joost bieg oor seksvideo “Dis ek in die seks-video. En ek is bitter, bitter jammer dat ek gelieg het. Asseblief, vergewe my.” Lees verder in Rapport.