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June 26, 2006updated 22 Nov 2022 7:56pm

World Cup football star wins apology over gay orgy rumours

By Press Gazette

England World Cup football star Ashley Cole has won apologies from the Sun and the News of the World after being linked to newspaper stories about un-named Premiership footballers being involved in homosexual orgies.

It is expected that the footballer will also receive damages from News Group Newspapers.

The highly unusual libel action stemmed not from the original Sun and News of the World articles – which did not name Cole – but from websites which linked him to the pieces..

The NoW first published claims of a "homosexual orgy" involving two Premiership footballers and a "pal well known in the music industry" on 12 February.

On Thursday, 16 February, The Sun published a picture story headlined "Ashley's got a good taste in rings" about the £50,000 engagement ring he bought for his fiancée Cheryl Tweedy.

On 19 February, the NoW published details of more "perverted" orgies along with a heavily obscured photo of "the DJ" and "player B".

It is this photo which is thought to have prompted the libel writs after website Pink News tracked down what it believed was the original, unobscured, photo and linked Cole and DJ Masterstepz, real name Ian Thompson.

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David Price Solicitors, acting for Thompson, said: "We are pleased to announce on behalf of our client, the Choice FM DJ Ian Thompson (a.k.a. DJ Masterstepz), that full apologies to both him and England footballer Ashley Cole were printed in Sunday's News of the World and today's edition of The Sun.

"The apologies relate to serious and entirely false allegations published about our client in both newspapers between 12 and 19 February, claiming that a 'well known DJ' had taken part in 'perverted' and 'debauched romps' with two premiership footballers.

"Although Masterstepz was not named in the articles the manner of publication led to himself and Ashley Cole being wrongly identified as having been involved.

"Masterstepz values his reputation as a leading DJ and was not prepared to let his name be tarnished by these claims. We can confirm that he has also been offered substantial damages by News Group Newspapers in resolution of this matter."

 

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