Sir Roger Moore's wife wins substantial damages from The Daily Mail

17-Oct-2011 • Actor News

Lady Kristina Moore, wife of James Bond star Sir Roger Moore, has accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages today from the Daily Mail over a false claim that she lived with a "playboy" while knocking around the French Riviera in her youth.

The allegations related to a false and totally speculative article published by the Daily Mail in October 2010 that claimed the identity of a Swedish girlfriend of Taki Theodoracopulos in 1958 was Lady Moore due to her being known as 'Kiki', too.

Solicitor Catherine Rhind told Mr Justice Tugendhat at London's High Court that the claimes were untrue and seriously defamatory.

The Independent reports that, "the article was illustrated by a photo of Lady Moore, leaving the reader in no doubt that it was inferred that Kiki was Lady Moore. Despite the serious nature of what was claimed, no attempt was made before publication to check the accuracy of the story by contacting Lady Moore, and the newspaper claimed that it was unable to contact Taki."

Ms Rhind told the court: "The true position is that Lady Moore was 18 in 1958 and was living in Sweden with her mother and father and at that time had never visited France. She could not therefore have been the person to whom Taki was referring, as has indeed since been confirmed by Taki who has acknowledged that he was in fact writing about somebody entirely different."

Associated Newspapers has apologised and agreed to pay Lady Moore substantial damages and her legal costs. The newspaper's solicitor, Harry Kinmonth, acknowledged the allegations were untrue and apologised for the distress and embarrassment caused to both Lady Moore and Sir Roger Moore, who were not in court.