Sir Salman Rushdie slurs declared false

Former protection officer apologises for allegations about author in book

Sir Salman Rushdie has received an apology and been granted a declaration of falsity by the High Court in respect of claims contained in a book about his time living under police protection. Former police officer Ron Evans, who periodically worked as Sir Salman’s driver when he was living under a fatwa, apologised through his solicitor over eleven claims in his unreleased book.

 

The Booker-Prize winning author, who agreed to accept the apology and declaration without damages, stated that he brought the action in order to correct the false allegations which included suggestions that he was suicidal, unhygienic, and supervised by a police psychiatrist. The book also suggested that protection officers had an unprofessional and hostile relationship with him to the extent that they locked him in a room because of his objectionable attitude, and that he charged his security men for alcohol they took from him.

 

Mr Justice Teare made a declaration of falsity in respect of the allegations published by Mr Evans, his ghostwriter Douglas Thompson, and John Blake Publishing, who have agreed to pay Rushdie’s costs. 4000 copies of the book that had been printed but never distributed have been pulped.

 

Sir Salman first became aware of the book’s contents when extracts were serialised in the Mail on Sunday. The newspaper has agreed to publish an apology this week.

 

5RB‘s David Sherborne (instructed by Finers Stephens Innocent) was junior counsel for Sir Salman.

 

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