Ex-NUFC player Joey Barton pays Jeremy Vine £75k after defamation claim
Joey Barton has agreed to pay Jeremy Vine £75,000 after making a defamatory claim about the TV presenter several times, on social media
Former Newcastle footballer Joey Barton has agreed to pay the journalist Jeremy Vine £75,000 in damages to settle a defamation claim, over posts on social media.
Ex-manager Barton made the defamatory claim in several posts on X back in January.
In a new post shared this afternoon (18th June), Barton says he apologises and recognises the accusation he made, was untrue.
“Between 8 and 12 January 2024 I published 11 posts which accused Jeremy Vine of having a sexual interest in children, and created a hashtag which made the same allegations, which were viewed millions of times," he said.
"I recognise that this is a very serious allegation. It is untrue."
In his statement released today Barton also acknowledges another claim he had made, that Vine advocated for the forced vaccination of people during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
"I accept that he did not advocate this policy and that the video clip (which Barton shared) has been edited to give a misleading impression of what he was in fact saying," Barton's statement continues.
"I have agreed not to make the same allegations again about Mr Vine and I apologise to him for the distress he has suffered.
"To resolve his claims against me in defamation and harassment, I have agreed to pay Mr Vine £75,000 in damages and his legal costs."
Meanwhile earlier this month a High Court judge ruled he will have to face criminal trial on allegations that he assaulted his wife outside their own home, in June 2021, which Barton denies.