Australian Court Rules That Paper Did Not Defame Photographer

A New South Wales (Australia) court has ruled that a newspaper did not defame a photographer when it wrote that he “wanted to `wreak havoc’ on [Nicole Kidman’s] private life.” The Sun-Herald successfully appealed a jury’s verdict that it had defamed Jamie Fawcett. Finding that the paper had published “substantially true” statements, the judge ordered Mr. Fawcett to pay the newspaper’s legal fees, which will probably total thousands of Australian dollars. Ms. Kidman testified that Mr. Fawcett and other paparazzi frightened her during the car chase that eventually led to the court case.