LONDON - Actor Josh Hartnett has prevailed in his libel suit against a British tabloid that published a false report claiming the "Black Hawk Down" star was caught on tape having sex in a London hotel library.
Hartnett received a reported $30,000 in damages from the Daily Mirror, along with an on-the-record apology stating that the story was "entirely false."
Titled "Josh Hartnett's saucy CCTV romp," the story was published Sept. 1 and quickly spread to internet gossip sites. Adult production company Red Light District capitalized on the rumor by making a $500,000 public offer for the alleged sex tape.
Hartnett's lawyer, Graham Atkins, told the London High Court this morning that the article caused "hurt, embarrassment and distress" to his client, whom he described as "a serious young actor who conducts himself in an appropriate and professional manner at all times."
The Daily Mirror's attorney, Victoria Jolliffe, told the court that the publication hopes "the record will have been set straight and the claimant's reputation restored" in light of the formal apology and damages paid.
