Louis Walsh settles 500,000 euro defamation case against Irish Sun

X Factor judge Louis Walsh has settled the defamation case against Irish Sun but remains “very angry”.

13:58 29 November 2012

Rupert Murdoch’s media group has paid Louis Walsh 500,000 euros for printing a story accusing the X Factor judge of sexually molesting a 25-year-old father-of-two in a toilet at the club.

 

Leonard Watters, the man who accused Walsh of sexual harassment, has reportedly already admitted to fabricating the story, and was jailed for six months for being found to have wrongly accused the TV talent show panelist.

Louis took legal action after Irish Sun printed the story. He sued for exemplary and aggravated damages over an article published on June 23rd, 2011, with the headline “Louis Probed Over ‘Sex Attack’ on Man in Loo.” The paper claimed that it acted fairly and denied defamation although it accepted that the accusation was false.

Louis has now said that although he felt vindicated by the settlement, he was traumatised and remained angry. He said he has the “utmost respect and time for most journalists” and that he’s been on good terms with many.

 

According to reports, he said: “I am therefore absolutely gutted and traumatised that these allegations against me should have been published, particularly as I had made it clear at the time there was not one iota of truth in them, that I was totally bewildered as to who would have made up this type of story.”