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Elton demands £150k from Guardian over 'offensive, nasty and snide' article
Saturday, September 27 2008

Elton John is demanding damages of £150,000 from the Guardian for a "gratuitously offensive, nasty and snide" piece written by columnist Marina Hyde.

He is already embroiled in a legal battle with his former manager, Bob Halley, after issuing a writ against him in January. The pop star has managed to get his court action against Halley, his personal assistant and manager for thirty years, made private after applying to the Royal Courts of Justice.

But now he is suing Guardian News and Media and accuses Hyde of using a gratuitously offensive, nasty and snide tone with sneering allusions to his racist and uncaring attitudes, and is demanding damages of £150,000.

Hyde’s piece in Guardian Weekend meant that his commitment to the Elton John Aids Foundation is so insincere that he hosts the annual White Tie and Tiara Ball knowing that once costs have been covered, only a small amount is available for good causes, he says. Her piece also meant that he uses the ball to meet celebrities and for self promotion rather than raising money for his charity and the good causes it supports, according to a High Court writ.

Elton says that in fact his glittering ball raised at least £10m for charity this year and that he is deeply committed to fundraising for charity. Her false allegations are particularly damaging to his reputation and are likely to discourage people from attending his charity events, the writ claims. Elton's solicitors wrote to the Guardian’s editor on July 7, 2008, asking for the piece to be removed from the paper’s website and for the paper’s legal department to hold onto her cuttings, notes, notebooks and drafts. The paper declined to assure him it would preserve the documents to be obstructive, he says.

His letter was leaked to The Independent, which published a story headed: “Sir Elton calls in the lawyers as satirical piece strikes a wrong note” and Elton blames the Guardian for this. The Guardian denied any leak to The Independent, the writ says. He argues that his complaint was dismissed in a high-handed and arrogant manner and claims that the paper failed to answer questions from his solicitors, to leave the paper with as much room for future manoeuvring as possible, and to place as much doubt in his mind as possible, in the hope of dissuading him from bringing proceedings.

Although The Guardian took down the piece temporarily, it was reinstated on July 15, 2008 on the website, despite his plans to sue for libel, the writ says.

Elton is seeking damages and aggravated damages for libel, and an injunction banning repetition of the allegations at the centre of his claim. The Guardian declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.

Related News

  • Elton John sues Bob Halley
        Thursday, January 24 2008 at 09:11:31


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