Brit Paper Guilty of Libel for Claiming Kate Winslet Works Out

By Roy Edroso Tue., Nov. 3 2009 at 2:58 PM

Categories: Featured, Legal, The Fabulous Life

Back in January the UK Daily Mail ran a story called "Should Kate Winslet win an Oscar for the world's most irritating actress?" which posited that while in early days the actress "cheerily talked disparagingly about the effects of motherhood on her body," she had of late "caught a nasty dose of Hollywooditis," and was, as effete Yank stars do, working out, despite her protestations to the contrary. "I can see the fact she has 'gone for the burn' etched on her woefully drawn features," said reporter Liz Jones.

The Daily Mail is in the habit of accusing stars of overexercising. But you just don't say such things about Kate Winslet. She brought a libel suit against the paper, and yesterday was awarded $40,000 in damages plus legal costs, and a printed apology...

"I was particularly upset to be accused of lying about my exercise regime," Winslet said in a statement, "and felt that I had a responsibility to request an apology in order to demonstrate my commitment to the views that I have always expressed about body issues, including diet and exercise."

Winslet is apparently serious about this: she had previously won damages against a magazine that claimed she visited a diet doctor, and donated her award to an eating disorders clinic.

Good for her, and probably for women wracked with body issues everywhere. Meanwhile we expect to be served with papers by Winslet's solicitors any day now. Also, we hear the Daily Mail has seen a marked uptick in email from the publicists of Hollywood actresses, promising them dirt on the workout regimens of their clients.

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