Playboy magazine has apologized to actress Jessica Alba over its use of a publicity photo showing the bikini-clad model on its March cover.
Playboy founder and chairman, Hugh M. Hefner has agreed to apologize to the actress and says he plans to make a donation to two charities picked by the actress, the company said in a statement.
Alba last month was angered over the magazine’s use of her image showing Alba in a revealing blue bikini during a publicity photo session for her movie last year, “Into the Blue.”
“In light of Mr. Hefner's personal apology for Playboy’s unauthorized use of my photo on their cover, I have decided to discontinue my claims against them,” Alba said in a written statement.
“This was never about money, it was about setting the record straight about something that was done without my knowledge or consent,” she added.
Hefner said in his letter that he was sorry for any “distress unintentionally caused by the publication of this photo.”
“What was intended as a tribute to your tremendous popularity has been misinterpreted by some as something else for which we are truly sorry since we are among your biggest fans,” Hefner said in his written apology.
Alba was originally chosen “sexiest star of the year” by Playboy readers in an online poll. But Alba said she never agreed to be featured on the magazine's cover.
In a letter sent by Alba's attorneys to the magazine in March, she claimed the publication acquired the photo under false pretenses while attempting to imply that a nude layout of her would be included in the magazines March issue.
She had sought to have the issue pulled from newsstands and force Playboy to pay for damages.
