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Katy Perry Sues Magazine: Didn't Sleep with Producer Benny Blanco

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on April 29, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

As Star Magazine recently learned, sometimes all it takes is an apology to make a libel suit go away.

But Australia's NW didn't get the memo, and after it refused to apologize, pop star Katy Perry filed suit against the tabloid for publishing allegations that she cheated on husband Russell Brand with producer Benny Blanco months after being married.

The article at the center of the lawsuit claimed that Katy Perry had an "intimate relationship" with producer Benny Blanco while he mixed her hit song, "California Gurls." It went on to say that the story was confirmed by two of the singer's friends--people, that, according to E! Online, Perry doesn't even know.

It also turns out that Katy Perry wasn't even present when the track was mixed, and that Benny Blanco wasn't even its producer.

In addition to pointing out these factual inaccuracies, the Daily Mail reports that the lawsuit alleges that the article damaged Perry's reputation and feelings, and that she is entitled to both damages and aggravated damages.

Defamation law in Australia differs from that in the U.S. in that, to protect First Amendment rights, persons in the public eye must prove that the defendant made defamatory statements with the actual intent to harm. Australia does not require this.

However, by asking for aggravated damages, which are akin to punitive damages in the U.S., Australian law requires that Katy Perry prove that NW made the allegations with the purpose of doing her harm. This means she basically has to prove what she would if she were suing at home.

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