Thursday 29 May 2008

Grant and Hurley win damages over tabloid pictures

LONDON (Reuters) - Actor Hugh Grant, his ex girlfriend Liz Hurley and her new husband won thousands of pounds (dollars) in damages on Thursday after paparazzi pictures taken while they were on holiday were published in tabloid newspapers.


The pictures of Grant, Hurley and her businessman husband Arun Nayar at a private resort in the Maldives, were distressing and an invasion of their privacy, London's High Court was told.


They were taken by photographers from agencies Big Pictures (UK) Ltd and the French-based Eliot Press.


The pictures were published in the News of the World (NoW) newspaper and its rival the Mail on Sunday (MoS) last October.


The court was told the MoS article was headlined "Hugh's that gooseberry?" while the NoW published the pictures under the banner "Liz does the blokey-cokey".


Hurley, Grant and Nayar accepted a total of 58,000 pounds in damages for invasion of privacy and a public apology from the agencies.


Publishers Associated Newspapers and News Group Newspapers will also contribute to the settlement, the court was told .


Laura Tyler for the trio -- who were not in court -- said the articles had been distressing.