Footballer David Beckham and his wife Victoria today received a high court apology from their former nanny after she gave private and confidential information about them to the News of the World.
A judge heard that Abbie Gibson had now agreed to give the couple “permanent undertakings of confidentiality”.
Their solicitor, Gerrard Tyrrell, told Mr Justice Eady at the high court: “Ms Gibson has also agreed to the withdrawal of her claim for constructive dismissal that she made against the claimants which was issued in the Employment Tribunal in August 2005.”
Tyrrell said Gibson “has unconditionally apologised to David and Victoria Beckham and their family for breaching her duties of confidence”.
He said today’s proceedings resulted from the publication of a newspaper article in April 2005 headlined “Beckhams behind closed doors”.
“Between May 2003 and March 2005, Ms Gibson was employed as the nanny to David and Victoria Beckhams’ children,” Tyrrell said.
“After she resigned from their employment she gave an interview to the News of the World.
“In this interview she disclosed private and confidential information about the Beckhams and their family.”
The News of the World used this information as the basis for the article published on 24 April 2005.
Tyrrell said 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”.
He also told the judge 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 Gibson.
“The People have already publicly apologised for making this false and defamatory claim and have paid damages to David Beckham,” Tyrrell said.
“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.”
Niri Shanmuganathan, solicitor for Gibson, told the judge: “Ms Gibson wishes to use this opportunity to confirm that Mr Beckham has not made any rude or threatening telephone calls to her.”
She was “happy to give the undertakings of confidentiality” detailed in an order before the court.
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