-PICTURES-

Added some screen caps fron the Birthday Girl DVD features here.

-NEWS-

Nicole Kidman settles British libel suit

Aug. 1, 2003  |  LONDON (AP) -- Nicole Kidman accepted a public apology and undisclosed damages Thursday to settle a libel lawsuit against a newspaper that suggested she had an affair with actor Jude Law.

The actress' lawyers told the High Court libel hearing that in a March 6 article, the Daily Mail alleged Kidman had tempted Law to cheat on his wife, actress Sadie Frost, causing the breakdown of their marriage.

The story also suggested that she was dishonest for repeatedly denying an affair, her lawyer said. Kidman and Law co-star in the upcoming film "Cold Mountain."

"The publication of this article has caused grave damage to the claimant's personal and professional reputation and she has suffered considerable embarrassment and distress," Gideon Benaim told Justice Charles Gray.

"Her embarrassment was particularly acute as the allegations coincided with the run-up to the Oscars award ceremony in Los Angeles in which she had been nominated for an award for best actress in a leading role for her role in 'The Hours.'"

Kidman, 36, won the award for her portrayal of author Virginia Woolf.

Associated Newspapers, editor Paul Dacre and journalist Nicole Lampert accepted that the allegations were untrue and without foundation and apologized for the embarrassment caused to Kidman.

They apologized for the distress and embarrassment and agreed to pay her legal costs. The amount of damages was not revealed, but news reports said it was substantial.