Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Will Sue You For Gossiping About Their Marriage

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel’s careers have lasted for many, many years, and over all of that time they have of course had all manner of things printed about them in the tabloids. But Timberlake and Biel recently decided to fight back against what they saw as a particularly salacious rumor that Justin was unfaithful to Jessica: a story published in Irish tabloid Heat Magazine last month under the headlines “Justin Timberlake gets flirty with another woman, it’s not his wife!” and “The flirty photos that rocked Justin and Jessica’s marriage.”

In response, they sued German publisher Bauer Media Group, the owner of Heat.

Tuesday, Timberlake and Biel emerged victorious in the case, reported The Irish Independent. Exact terms of the deal were not released, but Justin and Jessica reached a settlement with the European magazine accompanied by a warning that they would not hesitate to take action if this story or any other tabloid fabrication about their marriage was reprinted. Such a hard line against the rumor mill is a bold move to make — Timberlake and Biel could easily become entangled in a constant legal battle to keep their names unsullied. Furthermore, new platforms like entertainment blogs can make gossip more difficult to control than ever before.

Still, Justin and Jessica’s success in the case may at least get murmurings of divorce to quiet down for a little bit. Heat at least won’t be printing any false accusations about Timberlake and Biel’s love life anytime soon — that is if they don’t want to end up back in court. At the proceedings, the defendants humbly apologized for the story that sparked the lawsuit.

“The article was based on an unfounded report regarding Justin Timberlake’s alleged behavior at a club following a performance in Paris, to celebrate a birthday and also included a number of purported statements improperly attributed to Jessica Biel, which Heat now understands had never been made by her… The defendant regrets any embarrassment caused to the couple and unreservedly apologizes to them.”

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel did not not appear in the the Dublin court for the ruling on the defamation case, nor do they plan to make any further comment about the story in public. Paul Tweed, the couple’s solicitor, said the couple if “very satisfied” with the outcome of the case and hopes that it will prevent any further speculation about the state of Justin and Jessica’s marriage.

[Image via Wallpapers Today]