Max Beesley wins apology from Popbitch
17 March 2008
Download a PDF of Statement in Open Court
Popbitch agrees to its first ever Statement in Open Court.
Following a successful libel action, the actor Max Beesley, has today secured an apology, significant damages and his legal costs from gossip website Popbitch. Max Beesley successfully sued in relation to a libel allegation published in Popbitch’s weekly email newsletter in October 2007.
In Issue 370 of its email newsletter dated 11 October 2007, Popbitch alleged that, whilst at a TV industry party in Cannes, Max Beesley tried to line up three women to have sex with and asked one woman who said that she was not interested in having sex to go away, so that he could find someone else. This story was totally untrue.
Speaking in Court today, Max Beesley’s solicitor, Jenny Afia, explained that her client’s concern was to set the record straight and so he requested via Schillings, his solicitors, that Popbitch correct the position immediately with an apology and pay damages. When Max Beesley’s request was not met, despite the fact that he strongly denied the allegations, he had no option other than to commence legal proceedings. Proceedings were issued against Popbitch on 19 October 2007.
Popbitch now accepts that the allegations are totally untrue. It has agreed to publish an apology in its forthcoming weekly mail out, not to repeat the allegations, and to pay a substantial sum by way of damages to Max Beesley together with his legal costs.
The apology is as follows:
"In our mailout of 11th October 2007 we carried a piece entitled “Maxed out – Beesley makes beeline for beauties” in which we alleged that at a TV industry party in Cannes, Max Beesley was trying to line up three women to have sex with and asked one woman who said that she was not interested in having sex to go away so that he could find someone else. We now accept that the item was totally untrue. We apologise unreservedly to Max and have agreed to pay him compensation and his legal costs.”
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