Kate Beckinsale awarded libel damages

Actress Kate Beckinsale accepted £20,000 (€23,000) libel damages today over a newspaper claim that she was going to miss out on her dream role as “sexy heroine Barbarella”.

The 35-year-old star of films like 'Pearl Harbor', 'Underworld' and 'Van Helsing' was not at London’s High Court for the settlement of her action against Express Newspapers.

Her solicitor, Graham Atkins, told Mr Justice Eady that the story in the Daily Express, last month, was entirely false and had caused considerable embarrassment and harm.

He added that Miss Beckinsale was never in discussions about the film role and there was never a possibility she would be part of the project.

It followed that she had not been passed over in favour of rival Hollywood actress Rose McGowan, as the story claimed.

The newspaper’s counsel, Ian Helme, offered its sincere apology and said it was happy to pay damages and Miss Beckinsale’s legal fees.