Katie Holmes sues Star magazine for $50 million over "drug" cover
(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - Actress Katie Holmes filed a $50 million lawsuit against the publishers of Star magazine for running an item on their cover that insinuated she was a drug addict.
"Katie DRUG SHOCKER!" was the headline that ran on the cover of the magazine's January issue, next to a disheveled picture of Holmes.
Inside, the story claimed Holmes was "trapped in a drug cycle of addictive treatments," based on interviews with former Church of Scientology members.
In other words, the actual story wasn't about drugs at all, but about Scientology's treatments, including the use of a device called an e-meter.
"Star Magazine's malicious claims about Katie are untrue, unethical and unlawful," Holmes' attorney, Bert Fields, wrote in a statement. "Not only do they cruelly defame Katie, they play a cheap trick on the public, making ridiculously false claims on the cover unsupported by anything inside."
''Of all the fabricated stories that continue to be published about me, this instance is beyond the pale," Holmes said in a statement. "The publisher knew this outrageous story was false and printed it anyway to sell magazines."
Star magazine continues to stand by their story and claims in a statement that the article raises genuine concerns about the Church of Scientology's practices.
"Star fully stands behind the editorial integrity of what we have published concerning Ms. Holmes' controversial use of the Scientology 'e-meter,'" the statement reads. "The physical effect of the e-meter on its users is a matter of significant public concern and we plan to vigorously defend the suit filed by Ms. Holmes."
Holmes is seeking more than $50 million in damages, and her lawsuit claims the damage from the case came from the number of people who saw the cover, but probably never picked up the magazine or read the story to find out the allegations weren't about illicit drugs."Tens of millions of people saw the false and startling assertions of [Holmes'] drug addiction on Star Magazine's cover, which was intentionally designed to deceive the public, while viciously defaming the plaintiff," the lawsuit states.