Marketing &amp; Media: Elizabeth Taylor, Enquirer Settle Actress's Lawsuit
The lawsuit, which has been pending for nine months, arose out of two articles published by the Enquirer in June 1990 reporting on Miss Taylor's condition and activities at St. John's Hospital, Santa Monica, Calif., where she was treated last spring for pneumonia. The Enquirer said that after gaining access to all of Miss Taylor's medical records, it is satisfied that the articles reporting on the actress's medical condition and the report that she was drinking were in error. The paper said it published the articles in good faith reliance on information provided to it, but the information was inaccurate. Iain Calder, Enquirer editor, said in a statement, "we regret the inaccuracies in the articles but are pleased that this dispute has come to an amicable end." Miss Taylor said she feels "completely vindicated," and that after the newspaper's management determined the articles were in error, the Enquirer "acted promptly and in good faith." Miss Taylor initially sought damages of $20 million in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to Neil Papiano, her attorney. Although Mr. Papiano wouldn't specify the size of the settlement, he said "we were persuaded that it was certainly large enough that we shouldn't go to trial." As previously reported, G.P. Group Inc., the Lantana, Fla., publisher of the Enquirer and Star tabloids, plans to raise $350 million by offering 43% of the firm in an initial public offering.
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