Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have settled a defamation case at the High Court in Dublin.
They lodged legal proceedings last month, claiming that they were defamed in the September edition of
Heat magazine.
The Hollywood couple objected to an article in the European version of the publication that included photos of Justin and purported to quote Jessica.
Singer Justin and actress Jessica, who have been married for two years, chose to take their case through the Irish courts.
According to
RTÉ,
Heat magazine apologised to the couple for the article in a statement read to the court.
The statement said: "On 6th to 12th September edition of
Heat magazine the defendant published an article under the headline 'Justin Timberlake gets flirty with another woman, it’s not his wife!' and 'The flirty photos that rocked Justin and Jessica's marriage.'
"The article was based on an unfounded report regarding Justin Timberlake's alleged behaviour at a club following a performance in Paris to celebrate a birthday and also included a number of purported statements improperly attributed to Jessica Biel, which
Heat now understands had never been made by her.
"The defendant accepts that the article was false and withdraws any inferences that questioned the state of Justin and Jessica's marriage. The defendant regrets any embarrassment caused to the couple and unreservedly apologises to them."
Speaking after the settlement, the couple's solicitor reportedly said that both Jessica and Justin were "very satisfied with this categoric retraction of what was a false and unfounded story, together with the comprehensive apology from Bauer Consumer Media, the publishers of
Heat magazine, as read before the High Court this morning."
"The couple will not be making any further comment in relation to this matter but will not hesitate to take similar legal action if false allegations regarding the state of their marriage are repeated."
