Brad and Angie Settle Tabloid Privacy Suit
Here's some important news, Brad and Angie are not splitting up. Not only is this important to Brangelina fans, but it also has legal implications. On July 22, the news came that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had won their privacy suit against British tab News of the World over headlines that they were splitting. Rupert Murdoch's News of the World will run an apology and pay an undisclosed amount of money which will go to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.
According to USMagazine, in January the News ran a story recounting the alleged split, detailing plans to divide up their assets and make custody arrangements for their many, many children. Now, it shockingly appears the whole story was false. Even the Los Angeles Times reports the story, saying that the divorce attorney that the couple was supposed to have consulted, never even met them. Well, well, well.
In a statement released to USMagazine, the Jolie-Pitts attorney, Keith Schilling, shares the couple's motivation for the suit. "When the News of the World failed to publicly retract the allegations and apologize for them -- thereby leaving their readers in the dark as to the true position -- the couple felt they had no alternative than to sue," Schilling said.
According to the Associated Press, the couple brought an action in English court for misuse of private information and breach of the 1998 Data Protection Act over the story headlined, "Pitts all over", which also appeared online. That headline spawned more stories in other publications, as does every small act of the world famous pair. The News attempted to argue it acted in good faith, but the court did not agree.
"Today's victory marks the end of the litigation brought by Brad and Angelina," Schilling said.
Related Resources:
- Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie settle lawsuit over breakup story (Los Angeles Times)
- Can I Say That? Defamation Law Made Simple (FindLaw)
- Brangelina Seek Redress In Celeb Friendly English Courts (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- Does the Average Peron Have Privacy Rights? (provided by Knapp & Roberts)