Elton John wins libel damages for charity ball slur

LONDON - Elton John has accepted libel damages of £100,000 (NZ$295,100) from a newspaper which claimed he behaved like "tinpot dictator" by ordering guests at his annual charity ball not to approach him.

In a brief hearing at London's High Court, the singer's solicitor Nigel Tait told the judge the claims made in the Daily Mail in June 2005 had "caused Sir Elton considerable embarrassment and distress".

"The articles falsely alleged that Sir Elton had issued a bizarre and absurd edict to guests ... ordering them not to approach him ... thereby acting like old-fashioned royalty or some tinpot dictator and exhibiting self-important, arrogant and rude behaviour bordering on paranoia," Tait said.

"In fact, not only was no such edict issued at all, Sir Elton greets each guest as they arrive and is well known for chatting to as many people as possible who attend the ball."

He said the Daily Mail had published a prompt apology, and that its owners, Associated Newspapers Ltd, had agreed to pay "substantial" damages - revealed in a written statement to be £100,000 - which the singer would donate to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

It was the second time John had won damages from a newspaper over the same allegation. In February, he accepted an undisclosed sum from the Sunday Times.

- REUTERS