Katie Holmes Sues Star Magazine Over Cover Story

Katie Holmes sued the publishers of Star Magazine on Tuesday, accusing them of libel over a magazine cover that implied she was a drug addict.

 

The actress filed the lawsuit against American Media Inc. in federal court in Los Angeles. She said the January cover that featured the headline "Katie DRUG SHOCKER!" was not true.

The cover featured a picture of Holmes not looking her best, and the story itself claimed she was "trapped in a cycle of addictive treatments," based on interviews with former Scientology members.

"Star Magazine's malicious claims about Katie are untrue, unethical and unlawful," Holmes' attorney, Bert Fields, wrote in a statement. "Not only do they cruelly defame Katie, they play a cheap trick on the public, making ridiculously false claims on the cover unsupported by anything inside."

The complaint also states the cover story implies that Holmes is looking to split from husband Tom Cruise, which the lawsuit states is untrue.

""Of all the fabricated stories that continue to be published about me, this instance is beyond the pale," Holmes said in a statement. "The publisher knew this outrageous story was false and printed it anyway to sell magazines."

Star Magazine is standing by its story and said in a statement that it raises significant concerns about Church of Scientology practices, including the use of e-meters, devices that practitioners believe detect mental trauma.
"Star fully stands behind the editorial integrity of what we have published concerning Ms. Holmes'
controversial use of the Scientology 'e-meter,'" the statement reads. "The physical effect of the e-meter on its users is a matter of significant public concern and we plan to vigorously defend the suit filed by Ms. Holmes.
"Our attorneys look forward to deposing Ms. Holmes about her experiences with Scientology and the e-meter, and expect that the case will be promptly dismissed by the court," the statement said. Holmes,  is seeking more than $50 million in damages.

Her lawsuit claims the damage from the case came from the number of people who saw the cover, but probably never picked up the magazine or read the story to find out the allegations weren't about illicit drugs.
"Tens of millions of people saw the false and startling assertions of (Holmes') drug addiction on Star Magazine's cover, which was intentionally designed to deceive the public, while viciously defaming the plaintiff," the lawsuit states.