Emily Ratajkowski lands seven-figure book deal after viral essay sparks bidding war

Emily Ratajkowski is returning to books after securing a seven-figure publishing deal for her upcoming memoir, Mother Fcker*, which expands on the viral essay she wrote for The Cut about dating and self-discovery following her divorce.

According to Page Six, the book has been acquired by Penguin Press after a competitive 12-way bidding war among publishers, with sources saying the deal is worth seven figures.

The memoir is based on Ratajkowski's widely discussed essay, Mother F*ker: After becoming a single mom, I spent several years compulsively dating. I was trying to figure out what kind of woman I wanted to be.

The 35-year-old model and author previously published My Body in 2021, an essay collection that explored beauty, fame, power and the modeling industry.

Ahead of the essay's release, Ratajkowski teased the project on Instagram, telling her nearly 28 million followers: "Read what I discovered about power, men, sex and most importantly: myself."

In the original essay, Ratajkowski reflected on life after her 2022 split from film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard, describing how she navigated single motherhood while embarking on a period of frequent dating in an effort to better understand herself.

Rather than identifying the people she dated, she referred to them through colorful nicknames, including an "Elder Millennial," a "Vegan Graffiti Artist," a "Chef," a "Spanish Gen-Zer," a "Son of a Billionaire," along with several Italians and multiple DJs.

She also revealed that before her separation, her dating experience had been relatively limited, writing that she had never had a one-night stand and had only been intimate with eight people, many of whom had been long-term partners.

While Ratajkowski has not confirmed whether the upcoming memoir will reveal additional details about the relationships that inspired the essay, the expanded book is expected to delve further into her experiences with love, identity and personal growth after the end of her marriage.

The memoir marks Ratajkowski's second major publishing project and follows the critical and commercial success of My Body, which established her as an essayist beyond her modeling career.