Brangelina win privacy claim

Hollywood's star couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie today won undisclosed damages after settling their privacy claim against a British tabloid over false allegations that they were separating.

According to reports, News of the World claimed in a story published in January that the couple, who met on the set of the film Mr & Mrs Smith in 2004, had visited a divorce lawyer in December last year and agreed to divide up their $320 million fortune and custody of their six children.

The couple brought their privacy action lawsuit, through Schillings - the London lawyers, to the high court against News Group Newspapers, the News International subsidiary that publishes News of the World.

Schillings argued that the article contravened the Press Complaints Commission code of conduct that states that a significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion
"once recognised must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence; and  where appropriate,  an apology published".

The law firm added that publication of the story amounted to a serious misuse of private information and that it was not required to disclose if the information was true or false.

"However in this case we can confirm unequivocally, and upon instructions, that the allegations published by News of the World are false as well as intrusive," the firm said.

News of the World alleged on that the couple visited a divorce lawyer in December 2009 to begin thrashing out a separation deal. It also added that last month t hey signed a deal to divide their assets.

The article also claimed that the couple's children would live with Jolie but that Pitt would have visitation rights and that the separation would occur imminently.

Pitt and Jolie have three adopted children - Maddox(8), Pax(6) and Zahara(5); and three biological children Shiloh(3) and 17-month-old twins, Knox and Vivienne.