Dark clouds hang over Noordwijk: violent stories about the famous TV family of Martien Meiland threaten to come out. “I think they’re a little concerned.”
Wilfred Genee already announced it in his program Today Inside: there is sleaze and dirt about Martien Meiland and his family. It turns out to be inside information, because according to Evert Santegoeds, the presenter has a friendly relationship with Valérie Lempereur. She has written a book about Meiland enemy Caroline van der Eeden: juicy!
Dominant Erica
Caroline’s book, subtitled ‘The exiled house friend from Chateau Meiland’, is about ‘the ten-year friendship with the exalted Martien Meiland, the relationship and clashes with the dominant Erica, Maxime’s mood swings, the influence of the media and the slow erosion of her own self-confidence’.
Very exciting of course. “People have no idea what hell she has been through in recent years,” says Valérie in RTL Boulevard. “She is written to smithereens in three books (by the Meilandjes, ed.). She is still on sick leave, she is being treated for PTSD and this book is a necessity for her. People will be amazed.”
Taken to graze
One of the quotes in the book – it is not clear from whom – is already published in the press release: “Welcome to the world of television. I’ll try to explain it to you again, Caroline. You’re not the only one who got caught in those books. There is nothing that can be done about that.”
The quoted person continues: “The family is so popular that it is totally pointless to respond because no one will take you seriously let alone believe you. Moreover, you are not even allowed to respond, because that is what you signed up for. You just have to be strong. It will blow over on its own and then you can get on with your life.”
Homemade cookie
Well, that’s what Caroline does now. Reporter Aran Bade in RTL Boulevard: “I think it will be a peppery cookie of her own medicine, because she is going to write her side of the story, because the family has already done so for three books. That’s kind of the reason.”
According to Aran, Erica can also be a secret. “She has PTSD from what happened at the chateau. She would have gotten into trouble because she is on sick leave because Erica said in an interview: ‘She has a sublet.’ Then the UWV called and she was completely annoyed again.”
Nervous
Aran notices that there is some panic in the Meiland camp. About their biographer Jan Dijkgraaf: “He normally always answers the phone, but he doesn’t answer anything now. I find that interesting, that I think: what is going on there? Are they getting a little nervous there? I think some alarm bells are going off.”
Later during the Boulevard broadcast, Aran notes that Jan is “finally awake.” He responds: “As a writer and publisher, I am happy that the Meiland books are getting extra attention as a result and it is a great honor that my cover design has been stolen.”
Aran: “I think he is a bit worried.”
Erica and Martin
Erica states that Caroline only comes up with this book ‘for the money’. “Caroline is looking for money so we are not really surprised,” she sneered. However, according to Valérie, all proceeds from the book will go to charity. Jan: “Lol, keep in touch with the charities.”
And Martin? He says: “If she wants to write a book, she should do it nicely. It’s also coming out in October. We can’t respond now because we haven’t read anything yet. As long as she writes the truth, that is important.”
cover
Caroline’s announcement: