Jordan wins pay-out over parenting slur
Model Katie Price and husband Peter Andre accepted substantial damages and a public apology today over a claim that they were shocking and uncaring parents.
The couple will donate half the sum, which they would not reveal, to the NSPCC and the Vision Charity, and the other half into a trust fund for their children - Junior, Princess Tiaami and Harvey.
Ms Price, 30, who found fame as Jordan, and 35-year-old Andre sued News Group Newspapers over an exclusive expose in February based on an interview with former nanny Rebecca Gauld.
Solicitor Mike Brookes told Mr Justice Eady at London’s High Court: “In general terms, the article portrayed the claimants as shocking and uncaring parents who put their own needs above those of their children, and who are so reckless that they even endanger their children’s health and welfare.”
The newspaper’s solicitor, Joanna Workman, apologised and accepted that the allegations were untrue, and that the couple were decent and responsible parents, who loved and cared deeply about their children.
After the brief hearing the couple emerged hand in hand from the Royal Courts of Justice into the rain where dozens of photographers awaited their arrival.
The smiling pair hugged and kissed before raven-haired Ms Price, wearing a white ruffled blouse, slim-fitting black trousers and a diamante belt, read out a prepared statement.
Deeply-tanned Mr Andre, wearing a black suit and black open-necked shirt, stood at her side as she said: “Pete and I love our kids and would do anything for them.
“Anyone who has kids can imagine how it would feel to be accused publicly of being bad parents.
“We came here today to see that justice was done and that our names were cleared.
“Now that the paper has accepted the story wasn’t true, apologised to us, and paid us damages and our costs, we believe the record has been set straight and our names have been cleared.”
Before the pair left to make their way from the court building – their every step captured by pursuing cameramen – Mr Andre said: “We would like to thank you very much. It means a lot to us as a family.”
Mr Brookes said that the article was trailed as 'Jordan exposed: Nanny reveals sex, rows, binges...and what she's really like as a mum'.
It contained many so-called “revelations” about the couple’s home life and their relationship with Junior, three, 11-month-old Princess Tiaami and Harvey, eight, who is disabled and Ms Price’s son from a previous relationship.
They were all said to have come from their nanny’s experiences with them during her 18-month period of employment, and were quickly picked up and repeated elsewhere.
Mr Brookes said that the title of the article was 'Perfect mum? What a joke!'
“One specific and particularly serious accusation made in the article related to an incident on New Year’s Eve 2006 when Harvey scalded himself, and suggested that Mr Andre may have been to blame.
“It also alleged that the couple were subsequently ashamed to be interviewed by social services about the event.
“In fact, and what the article did not say, was that the incident was simply an unfortunate accident, and was accepted as such by social services, who completely exonerated both Mr Andre and Ms Price from any blame, something which the article also omitted to mention.
“The article also claimed that the nanny had got Harvey to lose nearly a stone in 10 days just by giving him healthy food and exercise.
“In contrast, it accused the claimants of neglecting Harvey’s health by deliberately feeding him a diet of junk food simply because this was more convenient for them to do.
“Again, this accusation was not true. Harvey’s weight is as a result of his medical condition, and Ms Price and Mr Andre have been diligent in ensuring that, to the extent possible, his diet is strictly controlled.”
