The paper claimed the two had visited a divorce lawyer to discuss dividing their assets
Pitt, Jolie sue British paper over split claims
Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are suing a British newspaper over claims they were considering a multi-million-pound split, their lawyers said in a statement received on Tuesday.
The weekly News of the World tabloid reported last month that the unmarried stars had visited a lawyer in December, and had agreed a deal on dividing their assets and access to their children.
"The publication of these false allegations is being treated as a serious misuse of private information and accordingly a claim form has... been issued in the High Court of Justice in London," said Schillings lawyers.
The British paper's story was picked up by a number of international news outlets, some of which cited US divorce lawyer Sorrell Trope as representing the couple, dubbed "Brangelina" by the press.
But Trope denied any links with them, according to comments cited by Schillings.
"I have had no contact from.., Angelina Jolie and/or Brad Pitt. I have never met your... clients or had any involvement with either of them. The foregoing is true with respect to all other members of this firm," he said.
Schillings also alleged that the News of the World story breached the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) code of practice requiring media to "take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information".
Lawyer Keith Schilling said the newspaper had rebuffed efforts to resolve the matter without going to court.
"The News of the World has failed to meet our clients? reasonable demands for a retraction of and apology for these false and intrusive allegations which have now been widely republished by mainstream news outlets," he said.
"We have advised them to bring proceedings which they have now done."
The News of the World, part of Rupert Murdoch's News International group and one of Britain's biggest-selling papers which regularly publishes scoops about celebrities, made no comment on the legal action.
AFP
