Nicole Kidman wins 'substantial' damages over perfume claim

Nicole Kidman, the face of Chanel No 5, today accepted a formal apology and "substantial" damages from the Daily Telegraph at London's High Court, after the paper accused her of promoting a rival perfume.

The Australian actress sued Telegraph Media Group Ltd over an article last month in which it claimed that, while promoting her latest film 'The Golden Compass' in London, she was seen openly promoting her "favourite perfume", Jo Malone.

Her solicitor, John Kelly, told judge Mr Justice David Eady at London's High Court this morning that the article "falsely alleged that she had put the nose of her employer, Chanel, out of place by attending press junkets all over London with a bottle of Jo Malone, her 'favourite perfume', close at hand".

He continued: "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'.

"The article meant and was understood to mean that the claimant had acted in an unprofessional and disloyal manner by brazenly snubbing Chanel."

He said that the publishers now accept that the allegations were untrue, and had established that the source of the article had invented the story.

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

He said that in addition to the apology the Telegraph had agreed to pay her "substantial undisclosed damages" and all of her legal costs.

Kidman intends to donate her damages to UNIFEM, the United Nations Development Fund for Women.

David Price, for Telegraph, added: "Through me the defendant sincerely apologises to the claimant for the distress and embarrassment this article has caused. It accepts that the allegations are untrue and ought never to have been published."