Baseball star sues over TV advert

Berra played for the New York Yankees from 1946 to 1963

A former baseball player has filed a $10m (£5.3m) legal action in the US after his name was used in an advert for the TV series Sex and the City.

Yogi Berra, a former New York Yankees player, is suing cable TV network Turner Broadcasting System Inc.

The 79-year-old claims the network sullied his name by using it in a racy advert for its Sex and the City reruns.

The advert allegedly queried readers about the definition of "yogasm", citing sex with Berra as an option.

'Moral taint'

The possible definitions were (a) a type of yo-yo trick, (b) sex with Yogi Berra and (c) what Samantha has with a guy from yoga class. The answer is (c).

Kim Cattrall played Samantha in the hit HBO series

Berra's legal action, which was filed in Manhattan's State Supreme Court last week, said the advert caused "severe damage to his reputation".

The reference to sex made in connection with Berra "engenders a moral taint that has damaged his otherwise spotless reputation," according to the legal action.

The legal action is seeking damages for use of Berra's name without permission.

A spokeswoman for TBS declined to comment.

Berra's lawyer, Lewis Smoley, said the Hall of Fame catcher learned about the advert when his granddaughter saw it in a magazine.

Smoley said he was told TBS stopped running the television advert last August. It also appeared on buses and subways.