Beckhams win apology from former nanny

A nanny who revealed secrets about the private life of David and Victoria Beckham has apologised to the couple. Photo / AP

A nanny who revealed secrets about the private life of David and Victoria Beckham has apologised to the couple and promised not to disclose further confidential information.

The agreement between the Beckhams and their former nanny Abbie Gibson was reached yesterday in the High Court after a four-year legal battle over confidential information supplied to two Sunday newspapers.

Ms Gibson's disclosures provided the basis for an article in The News of the World entitled, "Beckhams behind closed doors" which was published in April 2005. The story suggested that the Beckhams' marriage was in trouble and that they made Ms Gibson walk behind them when the family were out in public. She has now agreed to give "permanent undertakings of confidentiality" to David and Victoria Beckham, Mr Justice Eady the judge hearing the case was told yesterday.

Ms Gibson, 31, began working for the couple in May 2003 but resigned in March 2005 after a disagreement. The Beckhams' solicitor, Gerrard Tyrrell, said Ms Gibson "now accepts that she should not have breached her duties of confidence to David and Victoria Beckham and their children by speaking to The News of the World. She had signed confidentiality agreements four times while working for them." She has also withdrawn a tribunal claim for constructive dismissal.

Ms Gibson "has unconditionally apologised to David and Victoria Beckham and their family for breaching her duties of confidence," he added.

Mr Justice Eady was also told that, on 10 July 2005, The People newspaper published an article entitled "Exclusive: Beckham's hate calls to nanny", which falsely stated that David Beckham had made a number of insulting and threatening telephone calls to Ms Gibson.

Mr Tyrrell added: "The People have already publicly apologised for making this false and defamatory claim and have paid damages to David Beckham.

"Ms Gibson is happy to confirm that David Beckham did not at any stage make any such telephone calls to her. She apologises if anything she said to The People gave them a false impression that such calls had been made."

When the case first came to court in 2005 Hugh Tomlinson QC, for the Beckhams, told the court: "It is uniquely hurtful and distressing to have the person who until the end of March this year was sitting around the breakfast table with them and their children, discussing their daily lives, repeat that information."

The News of the World only published Ms Gibson's story after the couple failed in a last-minute bid to win an injunction. Then, the judge ruled the story was in the public interest.

- THE INDEPENDENT