THE ex-professional footballer Joey Barton has apologised to Jeremy Vine and agreed to pay the broadcaster £75,000 in damages to settle a High Court libel claim.
In a post on X,/Twitter, Barton said the allegations he made against Vine, including calling him a “bike nonce”, were “untrue”.
Vine sued Barton for libel and harassment over 14 online posts, including where he called Vine a “big bike nonce” and a “pedo defender” on X.
A High Court judge ruled last month that 11 of the posts could defame Mr Vine.
In a statement, Barton said: “Between 8 and 12 January 2024 I published 11 posts which accused Jeremy Vine of having a sexual interest in children, and created a hashtag which made the same allegations, which were viewed millions of times.
“I recognise that this is a very serious allegation. It is untrue. I do not believe that Mr Vine has a sexual interest in children, and I wish to set the record straight.
“I also published posts during the same period in which I referred to Mr Vine having advocated forced vaccination during the Covid 19 pandemic, based upon a video clip of his TV programme.
“I accept that he did not advocate this policy and that the video clip has been edited to give a misleading impression of what he was in fact saying.
“I then taunted and abused Mr Vine for bringing a legal complaint against me. I have agreed not to make the same allegations again about Mr Vine and I apologise to him for the distress he has suffered.
“To resolve his claims against me in defamation and harassment, I have agreed to pay Mr Vine £75,000 in damages and his legal costs.”
Lawyers for Vine told a hearing in London on May 9 that Barton posted several abusive tweets about the broadcaster in early January this year in a “calculated and sustained attack”.
Barton, who played for teams including Manchester City, Newcastle United, Rangers, and French side Marseille during his career, also began using “#bikenonce” on X, which led to it trending on the platform, the court was told.
Gervase de Wilde, representing Vine, said that the posts contained “clear references to (Vine) having a sexual interest in children” and that the word “nonce” had “an irreducible, defamatory meaning”.
In a statement online Vine said: "The news of Joey Barton’s apology and commitment to pay damages and costs is not the final outcome of this case.
"After five defamatory tweets, my lawyer offered Barton a chance to settle: pay £75k, plus my costs, and make an apology.
"He ignored that offer and posted more disgusting tweets about me, even publishing my home address to his followers.
"When I then took my case to the High Court, a judge ruled that TEN of the tweets I complained of were defamatory. Having lost, Barton has returned to the offer we made after tweet 5.
"There has therefore been a parallel action on tweets 6-10 and Barton will pay further damages for these. A number of other steps — including statements made in Court by way of apology — are still to be taken, and Barton has agreed to pay my legal costs of all of the claims."
STATEMENT REGARDING JOEY BARTON: The news of Joey Barton’s apology and commitment to pay damages and costs is not the final outcome of this case. After five defamatory tweets, my lawyer offered Barton a chance to settle: pay £75k, plus my costs, and make an apology. He…
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) June 18, 2024
