LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Elton John is suing the Times of London for libel over stories he said falsely linked him to tax evasion.
In two articles about "the secrets of tax avoiders," the Times said that Patrick McKenna of Ingenious Media was John's former accountant, allegedly implying John had been advised by McKenna to avoid paying taxes.
McKenna is accused of advising wealthy British film investors to abuse movie tax breaks.
The original stories were published on June 21 and discussed the film finance partnerships arranged by Ingenious Media, where McKenna served as CEO.
"We have been asked to make clear that the film finance partnerships arranged by Ingenious Media, whose CEO is Patrick McKenna, do not offer schemes of this type and they have not been involved in moving money offshore to avoid tax," the correction said.
The Times already published a correction on June 22 saying McKenna had never been the star's accountant, but John's lawyer's say the clarification was "wholly inadequate."
Suing in a London High Court, the attorneys said the four-line apology "deliberately ignored the defamatory impact" of prominently placed articles, which appeared on pages one and six of the broadsheet, according to the BBC.
"The allegations are particularly damaging to the claimant's reputation in the sphere of charity fundraising," William McCormick, the pop star's attorney, said in a statement.
The articles allegedly caused Sir Elton "severe damage to his reputation and personal distress and embarrassment."
The "Bennie and the Jets" singer is now seeking damages for "the sense of insult and injury."
The United Kingdom, notorious for what some call its "libel tourism," frequently rules in favor of plaintiffs and against publishers.
No comments:
Post a Comment