Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie sue News of the World over split story
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie launch legal action over News of the World for false story claiming they were splitting up
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Tuesday, 09, Feb 2010 11:53
By Matthew Champion.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have launched a privacy action against the News of World over a story published last month claiming they were to end their six-year relationship.
In an article published on January 24th the Sunday tabloid said the Hollywood stars had visited a divorce lawyer in December and were preparing to divide their £205 million fortune and determine custody of their six children.
London law firm Schillings, acting for the couple, has filed papers saying the story was a serious misuse of private information and that the newspaper had not corrected the article or published an apology since.
"The News of the World has failed to meet our clients' reasonable demands for a retraction of and apology for these false and intrusive allegations which have now been widely republished by mainstream news outlets," said the law firm's Keith Schilling.
"We have advised them to bring proceedings, which they have now done."
Although Schillings said Pitt and Jolie were under no legal obligation to comment on the allegations a statement added that the firm could "confirm unequivocally, and upon instructions, that the allegations published by the News of the World are false as well as intrusive".
The couple, who have three adopted children (Maddox, eight; Pax, six; and Zahara, five) and three biological children (Shiloh, three; and 17-month-old twins Knox and Vivienne), made a rare public appearance at Sunday night's Super Bowl with their eldest.
Pitt, 46, and Jolie, 34, met during filming for Mr and Mrs Smith in 2005.