The Sopranos actress Drea de Matteo slams ‘money grab’ book delving into costar James Gandolfini’s alleged substance abuse struggles

Drea de Matteo, who played the doomed Adriana on The Sopranos, is releasing a new book detailing her co-star James Gandolfini’s alleged battle with drug abuse.

The 52-year-old actress – who launched an OnlyFans account last year – responded to Mark Kamine’s new memoir On Locations: Lessons Learned From My Life On Set With The Sopranos And In The Film Industry.

Kamine went on to produce major films and TV shows, including the Oscar winners Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle and the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning HBO series The White Lotus.

“It’s just kind of a cash grab for that guy,” De Matteo said of Kamine’s book in an interview with Page six.

She added that Kamine’s portrayal of Gandolfini – who died of a heart attack in 2013 at the age of 51 during a visit to Rome – and his alleged drug use was “not accurate.”

De Matteo called Kamine’s book a “cash grab” for recounting how Gandolfini was reportedly late in drafting and had trouble remembering his lines after a night of partying in Atlantic City; seen in 2006

In one section of his book, Kamine recalls filming a season five episode of The Sopranos that was canceled after Gandolfini reportedly showed up late after a night of partying in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

He wrote that the actor “fumbled his way through his half-learned lines, doing take after take, drinking coffee and bottled water, alternately sheepish and rude, as he always is when he messes up.”

Kamin also claims that as Gandolfini “became increasingly unreliable,” HBO added a clause during his subsequent contract negotiations that would make him “responsible for the costs of shooting days if he missed work due to excessive consumption.”

De Matteo defended the character of her late friend and also lashed out at Kamine for describing alleged incidents that Gandolfini could no longer defend herself against.

The Sons Of Anarchy actress described the actor, who played series star Tony Soprano, as a “truly incredible person” and “so much more than what (Kamine) wrote about.”

“Jim was an angel,” she added, “and I guess because he was an angel, he’s not here.”

She also noted that she was “very close to Jim’s wife, his widow and his daughter.”

It is unclear whether De Matteo had read Kamine’s book – which was released on February 6 – before criticizing it.

Kamine refrained from opposing his former colleague’s criticism following the publication.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion, whether they read the book or not, I think,” he said.

Gandolfini, who played mob boss Tony Soprano, died of a heart attack while visiting Rome in 2013 at the age of 51; pictured in 2013 in New York

De Matteo said Kamine’s portrayal of Gandolfini was “not accurate,” and she noted that she was “close” with the late actor’s family; Gandolfini and de Matteo depicted on The Sopranos

De Matteo claimed the timing of the book – just weeks after the show’s 25th anniversary – was suspicious. “To start cashing in like that—the Italians don’t like that,” she said; seen in 2019

De Matteo also complained about the timing of Kamine’s book, as it was released weeks after the show celebrated its 25th anniversary.

“The Italians don’t like making money that way,” she continued. “We don’t like that.”

The actress also exposed her middle finger during the interview to emphasize her feelings, according to Page Six.

Last year, De Matteo revealed she had launched a racy OnlyFans account, although she claimed the only reason she started modeling online was because her refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 had cost her acting gigs.