Madonna Wins Lawsuit Against British Tabloid

On October 19, the British tabloid Mail on Sunday printed an 11-page spread featuring stolen pictures of Madonna and Guy Ritchie's private wedding ceremony. The pictures had been stolen from a photo album in one of Madonna's homes in Beverly Hills and were later sold to the tabloid for $7,500. In running the pictorial in its edition, the Mail on Sunday didn't disclose the fact that it had obtained the pictures through illegal means or that they did not have Madonna's approval to publish the photos.

In court, the tabloid never really attempted to defend its actions, and thus is open to whatever damages the court might choose to award Madonna. The suit is asking for $7.5 Million in damages, but that determination will not be made until a separate hearing takes place, which is scheduled for early in 2009.

The pictures were originally stolen from Madonna's Beverly Hills home by an interior designer. It's unclear at this point why an interior designer that is able to secure a gig with a celebrity of Madge's status would need to steal photos to sell for $7,500. Weren't they charging enough for the interior design services?

And while celebrities like Madonna have fared well in lawsuits against tabloids and paparazzi, there is clearly no end in sight. No monetary award is enough of a deterrent to slow the onslaught of photo-driven celebrity news and gossip.