Nicole Kidman’s perfume payout nets dollars, scents
Gina Serpe

LOS ANGELES—The Daily Telegraph thought it smelled a competitor’s perfume. Nicole Kidman thought she smelled a rat. Turns out, the actress’ sniffer was on the money.
The Oscar-winning star accepted “substantial,” albeit undisclosed, libel damages from the London newspaper Friday for a gossip report that the Chanel pitchwoman was toting a rival fragrance while making the recent promotional rounds.
While the 40-year-old actress did not appear in London’s High Court to accept the damages, her lawyer, John Kelly, said Kidman had suffered “considerable embarrassment and distress” for suggesting she had acted in an “unprofessional and disloyal manner.”
The article, titled “Chanel Left Fuming,” appeared as an item in the Telegraph’s Spy column on Nov. 28 and alleged that the actress not only told a snitch at the Golden Compass promotional junket in London that Jo Malone’s White Jasmine and Mint, not Chanel No. 5, was her favorite scent but that she had been spotted “dabbing it on whenever she had a moment” between interviews.
Further, Kelly told the court the item was never even run by the actress’ camp prior to its publication, thus denying Kidman the opportunity to set the record straight.
“These allegations were not put to the claimant or her representatives prior to publication. Had the defendant done so, it would have been informed of their utter falsity,” said Kelly.
The Telegraph now seems to agree.
“It accepts that the allegations are untrue and ought never to have been published,” the paper’s attorney, David Price, said in court. “Indeed, the Daily Telegraph has established that the source of the article invented the story.”
As part of the settlement, the broadsheet has published an apology and retraction, has agreed not to republish the false and defamatory story and will pay monetary damages to Kidman, as well as her legal costs.
Kelly said the actress will donate her entire settlement to UNIFEM, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, for which Kidman serves as a goodwill ambassador.
Kidman signed a reported $8.5 million contract to be the face of Chanel’s signature perfume back in 2003.