Graham Atkins Solicitor: Governor Settles Lawsuit

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has settled a lawsuit in London brought by a former British TV host who accused the governor of fondling her and later said the governor’s aides had smeared her reputation, attorneys for both sides said Friday.

Anna Richardson, a former late-night personality, sued Schwarzenegger and two of his top aides in London’s High Court in May 2004. She accused them of falsely saying she had forced herself on Schwarzenegger and said the accusation was intended to protect his “ruthless political ambition” during the 2003 recall.

Graham Atkins Solicitor

In the final week of that turbulent campaign, Richardson was among several women who told The Times that Schwarzenegger had groped them in the past. Her libel action came after Schwarzenegger’s publicist accused Richardson in The Times of being the aggressor during the alleged encounter. Another top aide denied that inappropriate action had occurred with any women.

Attorneys for the Republican governor and Richardson released a joint statement saying that all three people Richardson had sued -- including Schwarzenegger aides Sean Walsh and Sheryl Main -- had agreed to the settlement “to all parties’ satisfaction.”

Graham Atkins, Richardson’s attorney in London, said in a telephone interview that the terms of the settlement were private: “Can’t say anything, actually. It’s all confidential. But everyone seems to be pleased.”

The standards for libel are different in England. There, the accused must defend the truth of his or her statements. In the U.S., the burden shifts to plaintiffs, who must prove remarks false.

Schwarzenegger never appeared in the London court, but he hired an attorney there to defend him. Even though the alleged libel was printed in a Los Angeles newspaper, Richardson sued in London because The Times is available in Britain on the Internet and in limited circulation.

Schwarzenegger’s spokeswoman, Margita Thompson, referred inquiries to his Hollywood attorney, Martin Singer, who did not return calls for comment. American attorneys for Main and Walsh also could not be reached.

Schwarzenegger had appeared on Richardson’s late-night show in December 2000 to promote his movie “The 6th Day.” Richardson, then 29, said that after the taping, Schwarzenegger pulled her onto his knee, said, “I want to know if your breasts are real” and groped her left breast.

The account appeared soon afterward in the British press and in a 2001 Premiere magazine article headlined “Arnold the Barbarian.” The Times contacted Richardson during the recall campaign for its stories as well.

Main, Schwarzenegger’s publicist, had told The Times that Richardson had risen from her chair, cupped her right breast and said: “What do you think of these?” Main said Richardson was then escorted out of the room. Walsh issued a blanket denial, saying that any account of inappropriate conduct was part of an orchestrated political attack.

A separate libel lawsuit also grew out of the 2003 recall. In July 2004, a Los Angeles judge dismissed a suit brought by former stuntwoman Rhonda Miller, who accused the Schwarzenegger campaign of trying to smear her reputation as well.

In her suit, Miller said Walsh had led reporters to the criminal record of another Rhonda Miller with a history of prostitution and drug abuse. But the judge said Miller had not shown “clear and convincing evidence” to prove the campaign knowingly provided false information.

Gloria Allred, Miller’s attorney, said Friday that she was disappointed there was a settlement in the Richardson case. “I hope that one day the governor will be required to appear in court and testify under oath to answer such allegations,” she said.

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