Express Newspapers Pay Damages To Cruise And Kidman

Express Newspapers has had to pay libel damages to the actors Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, after printing an article in The Express On Sunday in October 1997 which the High Court in London yesterday ruled was ‘highly offensive’.

In the article in question, the paper made the following allegations: that the marriage of Cruise and Kidman was a hypocritical sham – a business agreement entered into to cover up the homosexuality of one or both of them; that Tom Cruise was impotent and sterile; that the couple adopted their two children following some dictate of up-town Los Angeles fashion; that Ms Kidman had shown unpleasant arrogance to workmen in her home, and that neither she nor Mr Cruise could be trusted about what they said about themselves unless they were subjected to lie detector tests.

According to reports, the allegations have caused the two actors and their family grave personal distress – the proceedings were brought in order to end publicly offensive rumours and establish the truth.

In response, Express Newspapers have never sought to prove that any of the allegations were true, instead admitting that each and every allegation is false and should never have been printed.

The undisclosed amount of damages are believed to be in the region of £100,000 to both Ms Kidman and Tom Cruise, and Express Newspapers is also understood to have paid the couple’s legal costs of around £150,000.

Speaking after the case yesterday, Tom Cruise stated that the court action was recourse against vicious lies, and not about money, and stated that all damages won would be going to charity.

Express Newspapers: 0171 928 8000