A News of the World story about model Jodie Marsh’s “secret sex
games” with footballer Frank Lampard has been cleared of breaching the
Editors’ Code of Conduct.
The Chelsea footballer said the article
wrongly implied that he had sex with Marsh and complained the News of
the World had not contacted him prior to publication.
The article appeared on 4 October and was headlined “My secret sex games with Lampard and four other stars”.
Marsh claimed she had a “secret fling” with Lampard and kept explicit photos of their encounters.
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However, Lampard said he had never had a sexual relationship of any kind with Marsh.
In
evidence to the Press Complaints Commission, the paper produced a
statement from Marsh in which she said the pair had done “everything…
except have sexual intercourse” on two occasions when they were
teenagers.
The NoW offered to publish a clarification, including
Lampard’s denial that the “steamy encounters” had taken place and
admitting that photographs of the encounters, referred to by Marsh, did
not exist. The two sides have yet to agree a wording for the
clarification.
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The PCC ruled that the proposed clarification was
sufficient right of reply and said it “hoped that the complainant would
now take up the newspaper’s offer”.
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