Kidman wins damages over perfume slur

Nicole Kidman won an apology and substantial libel damages from the Daily Telegraph on Friday over an article that falsely alleged the face of Chanel No 5 perfume had promoted a rival brand.

The Australian actress had sued the Telegraph over the story last month which said she had been openly promoting her "favourite perfume", Jo Malone, while in London for the premiere of her latest film "The Golden Compass".

Her lawyer John Kelly told London's High Court the article suggested she had acted in an "unprofessional and disloyal manner" by brazenly snubbing Chanel, and indicating she could not be trusted to honour her contractual obligations.

"The article also falsely claimed that despite having signed a multi-million pound contract with Chanel, the claimant was openly promoting a competitor's product and 'kept dabbing the Jo Malone perfume on whenever she had a moment'," Kelly said.

Kelly said the publishers of the Telegraph accepted that the allegations were untrue, and had established that the source of the article had invented the story.

"These allegations were not put to the claimant or her representatives prior to publication. Had the defendant done so it would have been informed of their utter falsity," he added.

The Telegraph's lawyer David Price said the paper sincerely apologised for the distress and embarrassment the story had caused.

"It accepts that the allegations are untrue and ought never to have been published," he told the court.

Kelly said Kidman intended to donate her damages to UNIFEM, the United Nations Development Fund for Women for which she acts as a goodwill ambassador.

Via reuters.com