14 DAY TRIAL // Before the lavish wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco to Charlene Wittstock, now Princess Charlene, French publication L’Express ran a story saying she’d been stopped at the Nice airport as she was about to flee. The royal couple is now suing for it.
After the mag printed the story about Charlene’s reported attempt to avoid a wedding she did not want, several other reports emerged, claiming this was not the first time that she tried to get out of the marriage.
In a matter of days, word online and in the press had it that Albert and Charlene’s marriage was one of convenience, meant to supply him with an heir and for which she got hefty financial compensation.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene are now suing the publication they consider responsible for all this talk about their marriage being a sham, Sky News reports.
“Monaco’s Prince Albert and his new wife are suing a French magazine they claim spread false rumors of personal problems ahead of their wedding earlier this month, their lawyer has said,” informs the aforementioned media outlet.
“Summons have been filed against L’Express magazine at a court in Nanterre, west of Paris, for invasion of privacy and ‘incorrect facts about their private life,’ lawyer Thierry Lacoste said,” notes Sky News.
The move doesn’t come as a surprise, since it’s just days ago that Prince Albert summoned representatives for 3 of the biggest national publications to admonish them for their coverage of rumors and speculation, as we also informed you at the time.
“We want to express our outrage about these rumors. It’s unbearable. What is regrettable is that the media seized on these rumors without verifying their information,” he said.
“I find it unworthy of your colleagues. I have always respected the freedom of expression. But the dissemination of false information is lamentable and subject to criminal penalties,” he added, hinting that he was thinking of pursuing the matter in court.
At the time it first ran the story, L’Express said it had no less than 3 reliable sources to confirm that, indeed, Princess Charlene tried to make her escape to avoid the wedding. As for the lawsuit, L’Express has refused comment so far.