Eastwood settles £5.5m libel case

Eastwood had claimed that the biography aimed to destroy his reputation

Actor and director Clint Eastwood has settled a $10m (£5.5m) libel case over a biography that accused him of beating his ex-wife, lawyers have said.

He sued Patrick McGilligan, author of Clint: The Life and Legend, in December 2002 over allegations that he attacked former wife Maggie Eastwood.

A witness to the alleged attack has since retracted the claim.

The case was settled out of court after McGilligan and US publisher St Martin's Press agreed to remove the allegation.

Other changes

Eastwood, who starred in films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars and Unforgiven, had claimed that the book aimed to destroy his reputation.

Among the statements he objected to was an assertion by a former associate that he saw the actor physically abuse his ex-wife. This allegation was later withdrawn in a sworn affidavit.

McGilligan and St Martin's Press also agreed to make other changes in future printings of the biography, but lawyers said a confidentiality agreement barred them from disclosing further details of the settlement.

McGilligan, who had initially stood by his version of the Eastwood story, has also written books on other Hollywood stars such as Jack Nicholson and James Cagney.