Sophie Dahl is suing the Daily Mail over a report which claimed she had sued journalist Liz Jones for describing her as “realistically curvy”.
She argues a story headed ‘March of anorexia chic’last December was defamatory and is demanding damages of more than £300,000 from publishers Associated Newspapers.
She claims the story, in the Femail section, meant she had sued journalist Liz Jones personally for having done nothing more than describe her a ‘realistically curvy’and had thus acted like a petty-minded and overly sensitive prima donna.
The story continued to appear on the paper’s website until it was removed following her letter of complaint, she says.
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Dahl says she suffered considerable injury to her reputation, as well as hurt, distress, and embarrassment, and says no effort was made to check the claim before publication.
She is also seeking aggravated damages, citing the offensive and damaging nature of the allegation, and the paper’s failure to apologise to her, or even to respond to her letter of complaint, which has increased the injury to her feelings.
Dahl is now seeking damages and aggravated damages for libel, and an injunction banning repetition of the allegations at the centre of her legal battle.
She has instructed solicitors Harbottle and Lewis
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