13:20 27 September 2010
David Beckham has launched his campaign to protect his brand.
Starting by filing a £16m lawsuit against both his accuser, Irma Nici and the publishers of the lurid claims, In Touch Weekly, Beckham hopes to gain reasons as to why the false claims were allowed to be published.
It is claimed that Nici, a former Bosnian war refugee, has no evidence to back up her claims but told the paper she could provide a diary she kept of the affair and had telephone records.
No checks were made by the paper and Beckham and his lawyers are expected to sue the magazine for ‘malice’ by printing something which they already knew to be false.
He will also sue the publication and its parent company Bauer for defamation. Nici will not get away lightly either. She has already been served a writ which could cost her around £5m in a damages claim.
David Beckham, who has before dealt with such incriminating accusations, wishes to this time fully clear his name and therefore keep his litigious public image.
It has been claimed that the accusations have been purposefully made in a bid to defame his character or to halt EnglandÂ’s chances of gaining the 2018 World Cup.