David Duchovny is categorically denying that he has had an affair with his tennis instructor as was reported in the UK Daily Mail on Monday and is suing them for defamation and invasion of privacy. I’m no lawyer, but the article in the Daily Mail I read never outright said that Duchovny and the tennis instructer had an affair. In fact, I believe the title of the story just said she didn’t deny it and the story at no time said they were actually anything more than “very, very close”. It barely even insinuated it.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges defamation and invasion of privacy. Duchovny is seeking $1 million in damages.
In his lawsuit, Duchovny accused the Daily Mail of posting a story online on Saturday that said he cheated on Leoni with a tennis instructor named Edit Pakay.
“This is false. It never happened,” the lawsuit stated.
A representative for the Daily Mail could not immediately be reached for comment.
Duchovny’s lawsuit said the Daily Mail story was taken down from the paper’s Web site on Tuesday. But other news outlets picked up on the story and posted versions on their Web sites, which caused “additional and further damage to David Duchovny,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit also stated that Duchovny never hired Pakay to be his tennis coach. Pakay says she is a friend of Duchovny, and that they played tennis a few times, according to the lawsuit.
[From Reuters]
We reported on the story on Monday and no one seemed surprised or overtly upset about it. I’m still completely incredulous that someone who announced to the world that he is addicted to porn and released a press statement that he was going into sex rehab would complain about defamation and invasion of privacy. Was the door to his privacy not left wide open when he invited the world in?
Ok, maybe I’m getting off topic here. I’m sure there’s some sort of merit to the suit, even if I can’t see what it is. Maybe Duchovny is trying to discourage anyone from digging any deeper into his addictions than what he’s already acknowledged. Suing for a story that barely asks the question is probably a good way to keep anyone else from printing further speculation. Or, it could cause the tabs to be even more interested in whatever it is David Duchovny is hiding.
David Duchovny is shown in press stills for his show “Californication”
It’s my understanding that defamation has a much looser legal standard of proof in the UK than it does in the US. Maybe he’s trying to make a point and this is the easiest way to do it? ❓
Odd. But on the plus side, he’s suing the Daily Mail which is always good news.
David, just say no to cut of sweat shorts. WTF!?!?
The whole David – Tea story is getting really weird. I do agree the threshold for this suit is much lower in England.
Look at slutbag Sienna Miller made 57K for an invasion of privacy for the boob exam photos taken on a public beach when she on vacation with a married man. How does one win that suit anyway? It’s more money than she made acting in the last year but still – she was being fingered in public if anything she was being invasive.
Gooooo Ducovney!
Um, Duchovny didn’t exactly invite the world in — he only issued a press release about the sexhab because the story was about to break, anyway (didn’t I read that on this site?) At any rate, he never seemed overly-forthcoming about the situation, just sheepishly honest. He should be suing the blabbermouth tennis instructor, who was obviously just looking for a tabloid pay-out and a moment of fame.
Exiled, those are tight boxers…and he looks hot in them, what are you on?
They looked cut off to me, too, and I think he looks God-awful. But he’s never done it for me so wearing a suit jacket and underwear while sitting on his car never had a chance of doing anything for me.
I’m sticking with my opinion that his issues are alot more than internet porn, too. How does drying out from masturbating at the computer make you look the way he has lately? Maybe I just don’t understand the physical reprocussions of detox from wanking online.
I’m sorry but the story I read about his tennis instructor did a lot more than “barely insinuate” an affair. She said stuff like I don’t want to be the other woman and we are intimate but I don’t know what he calls the relationship. Sounds to me like she did a lot more than insinuate–but stopped just short of saying the word SEX. All that said, it’s probably true but he’ll just get some quick cash out of a suit. Maybe he needs it for the settlement.
Yeah, pretty hard to preserve your reputation when you’re publicly outed as a sex addict!!
I think this lawsuit may be about the implcation for the divorce. If he and Tea are planning on settling terms, particularly child custody, David having a confirmed affair may make a difference.
That is just speculation. Perhaps he really didn’t have an affair with the tennis instructor and she’s just some woman trying to get her 15 minutes of fame by shooting off her mouth and implying she had an affair with him and he wants to put a stop to it.
(which is not to say that he never HAD an affair…maybe just not with her.)
It also makes me wonder…how those Tea/Billy Bob rumors started? And if this counter-rumor is all being leaked from the His People/Her People end?
(like John Meyer and Jennifer Aniston, but with way more subtlety!)
I think the basis of the suit is that Edit is now saying she never said the things that were attributed to her by the Daily Mail, it was picked up by hundreds of blogs, thereby ruing his reputation. If she didn’t deny saying those things he could not possibly win this suit.
She had to sign a document denying speaking to them or denying saying what was said. Whew. Anyway she did, or there would be no suit. So unless they have her on tape talking, they will settle out of court. He’ll win a small victory but probably lose his wife anyway. Sucks. His show is great though.
I believe the basis of the suit is that the Mail published the story knowing that is was false. Both the tennis instructor and DD told the paper before they broke the story that it wasn’t true, but they ran the story anyway. And having a sex addiction doesn’t mean he cheated on his wife, so I imagine it does make a difference to both David and Tea.
There are two major ways of improving your game: tennis tips and lots of repetition. A lot of practice grooves your strokes and establishes a solid foundation from where you can move on.
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