KEY POINTS:
Woman's Day magazine has backtracked on its efforts to secure the story of broadcaster Paul Holmes' daughter, Millie Elder.
Elder, 19, was sentenced in Auckland District Court last week to 12 months' supervision after earlier admitting possessing methamphetamine or P, a pipe, and allowing her premises to be used for drugs.
Judge Anne Kiernan refused an emotional plea from Holmes to let his daughter escape conviction.
In his Herald on Sunday column, Holmes said he was appalled to discover Woman's Day was involved in a "bidding war" for his daughter's story and had offered her $20,000.
"I rang Sarah Henry, the editor, and told her that if that payment occurred I would hold her personally responsible for how Millie spent it," he said.
"The offer was heartless, brainless, disreputable and irresponsible."
Henry said yesterday that the magazine would not continue its efforts to secure Elder's story.
"We approached Millie on the basis that there has been such a big deal made about her recovery in court that it has become the news part of the story," she said.
"P is such a blight on society, we wanted to do an inspirational-type story about her battle ... Here is a privileged girl who went through some bad times and has come out the other side.
"Our goal was to inspire and inform."
Henry would not comment on the money mentioned by Holmes, but said "if money was tabled, it certainly wasn't brought up by Woman's Day".
She also disputed the term "bidding war", saying it suggested another party was involved, which she was not aware of.
- NZPA
