| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
Stripper sues National Enquirer over Ben Affleck story
Friday August 15, 2003LOS ANGELES (AP) A Canadian stripper sued the National Enquirer Friday, saying the tabloid libeled and slandered her in an article that states she had a sexual liaison with actor Ben Affleck.
The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court, claims the Aug. 12 issue of the Enquirer falsely reported that Antonella Santini prostituted herself to Affleck.
The suit further charges that next week's Enquirer includes an interview with another dancer, Tammy Morris, that contains more falsehoods about Santini. It also alleges that Morris received $100,000 from the Enquirer and may have taken an anti-anxiety medication to help her pass a lie-detector test.
The Enquirer said it stands by its story. Morris did not immediately return a call for comment.
The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, names the Enquirer, Morris and three reporters as defendants.
According to the suit, Santini and other dancers performed for Affleck in the VIP room of Brandi's, the Vancouver, British Columbia, club where Santini works. It said there was no inappropriate touching between Santini and Affleck.
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