Beckham loses libel suit in US court
US judge dismisses libel suit filed by Beckham against celebrity magazine for lack of evidence to prove the magazine reported with malicious intent
A Los Angeles federal judge has dismissed the libel suit popular athlete David Beckham has filed against celebrity magazine over cheating allegations on wife Victoria with prostitute, Irma Nici. US district court Judge Manuel Real dismisses libel suit filed by Beckham against the celebrity magazine for lack of evidence to prove the magazine reported with malicious intent.
Beckham filed the libel suit against In Touch magazine which reported that the player had sex with Nici for a fee of $5,000 for a threesome back in 2007.
Through his lawyer, Atty. Richard B. Kendall, Beckham argued that he was visiting his father at the hospital in one of the occasions underscored in the magazine report, while in another occasion, in a football match he attended.
Judge Real dismissed the case claiming that Beckham's legal team had failed to submit evidence that the magazine published the cheating allegations ‘with malice’. In line with the case dismissal is the judge’s upholding of Irma Nici’s “right to free speech”.
“The statement in the article concerned a person in the public eye,” Real said, according to Eurosport, adding that the article was published ‘in the interest of the public’.
“The plaintiff is a world-renowned soccer star who puts himself in the public spotlight,” the judge added, as stated in the court decision.
The magazine may have failed to check the accuracy of its facts on Beckham’s cheating allegations, but such failure noted the judge does not merit for a libel suit for it ‘doesn’t establish malice’.
Beckham’s lawyers has failed to submit evidence that there was in intent of malice on the part of the magazine. The ‘establishment of malice’ is an important component of libel in the US, noted Eurosport.
The camp of the popular player has asserted that they will appeal the case until they successfully disprove the magazine’s claims against David Beckham.