The People On The Ropes Over False Bruno Allegations

Frank Bruno, the former world heavyweight boxing champion, and Yvonne Clydesdale, the mother of their baby daughter, have won their libel case against the publishers of The People newspaper.

On 23 April 2006, The People ran a front page story making serious but false allegations about Mr Bruno’s and Ms Clydesdale’s private lives.

Soon after the article was published, Mr Bruno and Miss Clydesdale approached Carter-Ruck to clear their names.

Following Carter-Ruck’s intervention, The People published an apology in the next edition of the newspaper and shortly afterwards also agreed to pay £50,000 in libel damages, together with legal costs. In addition, the newspaper undertook not to repeat its wholly false allegations.

In the High Court, Solicitor-Advocate Magnus Boyd of Carter-Ruck told Mr Justice Eady that the newspaper had falsely reported that Mr Bruno and Miss Clydesdale had split up; that Mr Bruno ended the relationship just days before Miss Clydesdale was due to give birth and that he had branded her a gold-digger, thus clearly implying that Mr Bruno had treated Miss Clydesdale in a cold and callous manner.

As the newspaper was aware, Miss Clydesdale was very heavily pregnant at the time of the publication and the allegations caused great distress at what was an extremely sensitive time.

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Winter 2006