Longoria's husband sues website

The couple sold their wedding photographs to OK! magazine

The husband of Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria is suing a celebrity gossip website for at least $40m (£20m) over claims he had an affair.

Basketball star Tony Parker is suing X17online.com for alleging he had an affair with model Alexandra Paressant.

The website posted a series of "false" stories, according to legal papers filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

X17online.com ran an interview with Ms Paressant in which she claimed she and Mr Parker had a two-month affair.

'Serious doubts'

The story said Ms Paressant told the website she attended Mr Parker's wedding with a group of friends including French football player Thierry Henry.

The legal case said: "X17 had to know that the story was false, or, at the very least, it had to have entertained serious doubts about the credibility of the supposed source."

It continued: "No one from X17 attempted to contact Mr Henry, who... would have told them in no uncertain terms that this woman was not at the wedding."

An after-hours call to X17's Beverly Hills office was not immediately returned.

Belgian-born Mr Parker, 25, married Ms Longoria, 32, in Paris in July.

The high-profile couple defended their marriage in People magazine last week.

"I love my wife. She's the best thing in my life, and I have never been happier," Mr Parker said.

"Tony has been nothing short of the perfect husband," Ms Longoria added.