Swimming legend Ian Thorpe considering legal action over Daily Telegraph ‘pill’ story
The Telegraph is facing legal action over front page story on Thorpe rejecting a breath mint.
The manager of Australian swimming star Ian Thorpe has signalled he is considering his legal options after The Daily Telegraph’s front page story about Thorpe refusing a ‘white, pill-like’ object from a friend.
Today’s Sydney Morning Herald quotes Thorpe’s manager James Erskine confirming that he had met with Thorpe’s lawyers this week and that they may seek to reach out directly to the Murdoch family, which publishes Sydney tabloid the Daily Telegraph, ahead of taking any legal action.
“I think the paper is waiting for us to take legal action,” Erskine told the Herald. “But really, what would they expect? The whole front page of the paper was dedicated to a story about Ian Thorpe not taking a pill, which turned out to be a mint.”
On Monday, The Daily Telegraph’s front page story was a photo of Thorpe being offered a “a white, tablet-shaped object” by a friend ahead of the gay and lesbian Mardi Gras.
This year was the first time that Thorpe, who came out as gay in 2014, had attended the Mardi Gras event.
Erskine described his interaction with the newspaper ahead of publication and claimed the story had strained Thorpe’s relationship with his family.
“I received seven text messages and phone calls on Sunday afternoon from a reporter telling me it was ‘urgent’ with a note that said ‘we have photos that appear to show Ian taking pills last night, please provide a statement as soon as possible’, which when you see the photos was clearly not true.
Erskine told the Herald he eventually texted Sydney Confidential reporter Sally Rawsthorne back a one-word response saying: “Aspirins?”
“When she sent that text to me she knew damned well Ian Thorpe had not taken a pill and she had no clue about what the pill actually was. What’s her next story going to be? John Howard didn’t take ecstasy? Or maybe Malcolm Turnbull isn’t gay. It really is extraordinary,” he said.
Maybe I don’t understand defamation law well enough, but this is a case of the paper making Thorpe out to be a good guy. The other chap may have grounds to sue, but how exactly is Thorpe defamed here?
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Perhaps merely shown in close proximity to someone holding a pill tarnishes Thorpe’s image?
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Think they’re trying to make out Thorpie is hanging with the wrong crowd who are trying to ‘corrupt’ him and lure him into a sordid gay world of party drugs. Bless the DT…
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Yet another non-story from the DT. Bring on the down fall of print if the Murdoch press is as good as it gets.
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The “non-story” the DT beat up is so typical of their journalistic and editorial standard – trash. Any story to defame, infer bad behaviour, especially from a sporting icon, and a gay one at that, is absolutely disgusting, and the Murdoch’s need to act against the newspaper, its journalist and editor, otherwise the Murdoch name becomes tarnished with aiding and abetting such disgusting journalism and in implying/inferring transgressive behaviour by an internationally acclaimed Australian sporting identity.
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@Greg Smith “otherwise the Murdoch name becomes tarnished with aiding and abetting such disgusting journalism”
It’s a bit late for that Greg. Brand Murdoch couldn’t be anymore ‘tarnished’ could it? This is mild compared to far worse that has been spread over their awful tabloids around the world.
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Sounds like aggressive damage control by Thorpe’s camp
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Why doesn’t everybody leave everybody the hell alone.
Surely there is enough real news to report on.
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Just noted the first comment dated Saturday12th/March/2016. [Duncan].
The last [Maggie] dated Monday14th/March/2016.
Yet this email was posted today. [Monday 14th/March].
Please explain?
Otherwise I’ll mount a credible conspiracy, yet to be formulated.
Watch this space.
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Hello Ken,
Thanks for your question.
By “this email” I presume you’re referring to Mumbrella’s daily news email.
Our content goes up on this website first, then the email goes out later, providing links to what we’ve written.
So in this case, the news story was posted on Saturday, and then included when our email went out on Monday.
All the best,
Tim – Mumbrella