news celeb scandals today

Court gags celebrity affair story to protect children from bullies

A British tabloid has been barred from printing a story about a married celebrity having an affair with a colleague, to protect his children from schoolyard bullies.

The England and Wales Court of Appeal has ruled the man, who remains married and who has two teenage children, has the right to privacy to protect his family and the News of the World cannot publish the story.

The BBC reported the man, who works in the entertainment industry and is referred to as ETK, began an affair with a woman, known only as X, with whom he worked, in November 2009

The man's wife confronted him about the affair in April last year, but the couple decided to stay together for the sake of their children, while he and X decided to maintain their professional relationship.

"Continuing their working relationship was obviously awkward and, in discussion with his employers, the appellant [ETK] told them that he would prefer in an ideal world not to have to see her at all and that one or other should leave but both accepted that their working commitments did not then make that possible," the court papers said.

X was fired in December 2010 and the details leaked to News of the World, which wanted to write that the affair was the real reason she was sacked.

X became angry after being fired, but made it clear she did not want the story to be made public.

In March, ETK sought an injunction against the newspaper, supported by his wife and X, but it was rejected by a judge, who found there was public interest in the effects of the adultery.

Yesterday, the Court of Appeal overturned that decision, finding the interests of free speech were outweighed by harm that could be caused to all involved, especially ETK's children.

"The purpose of the injunction is both to preserve the stability of the family while the appellant and his wife pursue a reconciliation and to save the children the ordeal of playground ridicule when that would inevitably follow publicity," the judgment said.

"They are bound to be harmed by immediate publicity, both because it would undermine the family as a whole and because the playground is a cruel place where the bullies feed on personal discomfort and embarrassment."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/court-gags-celebrity-affair-story-to-protect-children-from-bullies-20110420-1do42.html#ixzz1K2hHJAwH