Former Miss Great Britain and Celebrity Big Brother star Danielle Lloyd today accepted a formal apology and ‘substantial’damages from the Daily Mirror over allegations that she had sex with rapper 50 Cent while dating Wigan Athletic footballer Marcus Bent, and that she had propositioned Take That member Jason Orange.
Lloyd, 23, sued publishers MGN Ltd over the 11 July article headlined ‘Fiddy’s no diddy, Danielle looking wobbly after a big night in with 50 Cent’. A judge was told today that the paper now accepted that the piece contained untrue allegations.
Lloyd’s lawyer, Magnus Boyd, told Mr Justice David Eady at London’s High Court that the paper had now agreed to pay his client ‘substantial’but undisclosed libel damages’and her legal costs.
He said: ‘The article alleged that Danielle Lloyd had sexually propositioned the rapper 50 Cent and, on another occasion, propositioned the singer Jason Orange. The article also alleged that Danielle Lloyd had sex with 50 Cent whilst going out with a football player called Marcus Bent. The allegations were false.
“Daniele Lloyd did not proposition 50 Cent or Jason Orange, sexually or otherwise, nor did she have sex with 50 Cent and nor was she going out with, and therefore unfaithful to, Marcus Bent.
‘The article was hurtful and caused Danielle Lloyd distress and embarrassment.”
Blinne Ni Ghralaigh, for MGN, told the judge : ‘MGN, through me, apologises once again to Danielle Lloyd for the distress and embarrassment that has been caused to her by publication of the article.”
Lloyd, who was present at the hearing, declined to confirm the size of her damages payout, or how she would spend it. However, in a written statement, she said: ‘I was devastated by the disgusting lies about my private life which the Daily Mirror published without a shred of evidence to back them up and despite being told the truth in advance. The allegations could not have been more hurtful and the story in which they appeared was unbelievably spiteful and malicious.
“Living with that horrible story hanging over my head was bad enough. But in addition, myself and my family had to endure the most revolting gossip and rumour and, I fear, being viewed with suspicion by some of my friends and people who know me.
‘I’m now looking forward to being able to concentrate on my career.”
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