Beckhams settle libel case over marriage claim

LONDON, Mar 9 (Reuters) British soccer and pop music celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham today reached a settlement in their libel case against a newspaper that said their marriage was on the rocks.

The Beckhams had brought the case against the News of the World, which published interviews with their former nanny purporting to reveal details of their private life.

At an earlier court hearing, the paper's lawyers said it would try to show the couple were ''cynically and hypocritically'' misleading the public by pretending their marriage was perfect.

Lawyers for the Beckhams said they would argue that they were in fact happy and that the newspaper had hurt their reputation by writing otherwise.

Both sides today issued statements saying they had reached a confidential agreement to withdraw the case. Neither would elaborate.

Questions about the Beckhams' marriage became front page news in Britain in 2004 when Rebecca Loos, a former personal assistant of David Beckham, claimed to have had a sexual relationship with the England soccer captain.

The Beckhams have remained among Britain's most talked-about celebrity pairs even though David has moved to Spain to play for Real Madrid and his one-time Spice Girl wife has struggled to restart her pop music career.

REUTERS KD RK2105