Star to apologise to Ashley Cole

Posted by Martin Stabe on 15 March 2006 at 13:03
Tags: Ashley Cole, Journalism, Libel, News of the World, Online, Privacy, Star, Sun

The Daily Star is to apologise to Ashley Cole for retelling the “gay orgy” allegations about the footballer made by another tabloid, according to Pink News, a web site at the heart of the increasingly complex legal dispute.

The Arsenal and England star’s suit for libel, harassment and “false privacy” against the News of the World and the Sun emerged when Pink News revealed that a highly distorted photograph that the NoW had printed with stories making allegations about an unnamed gay footballer showed Cole.

The other man in the photograph, Ian Thompson (better known as DJ Masterstepz), later announced that he, too, would be suing the tabloids. Lawyers for the DJ also indicated that they may pursue an action for breach of copyright, since the photograph belonged to Thompson.
Neither man intends to sue Pink News, but the News of the World has indicated that it might pursue the web site under the Civil Liability (Contribution) Act 1978.
Cole’s lawyers are advertising an online survey about the case on Pink News.

Tags: Ashley Cole, Journalism, Libel, News of the World, Online, Privacy, Star, Sun