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London (dpa) - Dan Brown, bestselling author of "The Da Vinci Code", took the stand as a witness in a courtroom in London Monday, saying he was astounded at the "completely fanciful" accusations of plagiarism made against him.
The 41-year-old American, who is known to hate the limelight, said in a statement to the High Court: "For them (the claimants) to suggest, as I understand they do, that I have 'hijacked and exploited' their work is simply untrue."
Brown, in a beige poloneck sweater and tweed jacket, has been accused by historians Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent of lifting the plot for his novel from their 1982 non-fiction work "The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail."
"I have been shocked at their reaction. Furthermore I do not really understand it," Brown said.
Both books explore a theory that Jesus did not die on the cross but survived and had children with Mary Magdalene, and that their descendents survive.
Baigent and Leigh are suing suing Random House, publishers of both books.
Brown, whose novel has sold more than 40 million copies and has been translated into more than 40 languages, said the claimants were "only two of a number of authors" who had written about the bloodline story.
"And yet I went out of my way to mention them for being the ones who brought the theory to mainstream attention", Brown went on.
The trial, which has seen sales of both books soaring, continues.
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
