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  1. Media Law
April 9, 2013updated 10 Apr 2013 8:33pm

Katie Price’s High Court claim form suggests PR plot to ‘bury the bitch’ in press

By William Turvill

A High Court claim made by Katie Price for the return of her private data held by a PR firm has lifted the lid on apparent attempts to harm her in the press.

Internal emails uncovered by the celebrity include one where an individual reveals a plan to “bury the bitch [Price]” using the media.

Price believes Can Associates, the company which acted for her between 2004-2009, illegally holds personal information about her that is being offered to papers in interviews and celebrity columns.

A subject access request made by the model has revealed a “very significant danger” that Can Associates has and will continue to offer confidential material to the press.

Along with internal emails suggesting that the agency was “going to war” with Price, the claim form also quotes a draft contract said to have been sent to the media.

Believed to have been signed by celebrity rivals, it said: “I shall make you privy to much confidential information… including without limitation matters relating to Katie Price… her friends and members of her family…

“As a result of our discussions you will gain access to a large amount of Confidential Information.”

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This wording for “an agreement in the same terms” is said to have been received by the Sunday Mirror and the News of the World.

Can Associates’ most prominent client now Price has left is her ex-husband Peter Andre.

In 2010 Price was forced to pay libel damages to Can Associates director Claire Powell after she accused her of having an affair with Andre on the Graham Norton Show.

Price, who is reported to have had a Willy Wonka-themed wedding to model Kieran Hayler last month, is separately suing Andre for misuse of her personal information.

A further internal Can Associates email disclosed in the latest claim form said: “Tomorrow we take up another level, every newspaper or magazine that is thinking about or running a story gets a letter stating that we are going to war against KP.

“So everyone cc’d in on this email, you are now going to war, those of you that are not up for a major battle, leave the building now because I am going to bury the bitch.”

Can Associates denies that these emails were sent internally.

"We consider that the claim is without merit and it is being defended vigorously," a spokeswoman said.

"The emails to which Ms Price refers were not sent by our company but by a third party, who no longer has any association with us."

The claim form also reveals the curious relationship between Katie Price’s former agent Can Associates and the newspaper industry – in particular Northern & Shell. Read more here.

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