Valérie Trierweiler wins damages over bikini photos but is criticised for 'lack of discretion'
Search Icon

Valérie Trierweiler wins damages over bikini photos but is criticised for 'lack of discretion'

Valérie Trierweiler, the French first lady, won damages from three glossy magazines for publishing photographs of her in a bikini, but not before she was criticised by a judge for her lack of "discretion" in her private life.

Valérie Trierweiler wins damages over bikini photos but is criticised for 'lack of discretion'
Miss Trierweiler came under fierce criticism for not pursuing her own employer, Paris Match magazine, which published the same photos Credit: Photo: Philippe Desmazes/AFP

President François Hollande's partner had taken offence at photos appearing on the front covers of the magazines without her consent, showing France's first couple relaxing on a beach close to the presidential Riviera retreat of Fort de Brégançon in August. She had called for damages of up to 25,000 euros (£20,000)

The Paris judge yesterday (Tues) ordered weekly celebrity magazines Closer and Voici to pay the first lady 1,500 euros (£1,220) for breaching her private life and image rights, as she had "never consented" to the pictures. Public magazine was ordered to pay 1,000 euros (£815). They were told to remove the images from their internet sites.

But the judge said that Miss Trierweiler had "not always shown discretion about her private life, notably regarding publicly exposing her feelings".

She agreed with Public's lawyer that the 47-year-old "sometimes mixed private and public life in her own communication", citing her notorious tweet backing a rival of Mr Hollande's ex-partner Ségolène Royal during legislative elections.

Last month, a Paris judge ordered celebrity weekly VSD to pay Miss Trierweiler 2,000 euros (£1,630) on identical grounds.

But she came under fierce criticism for not pursuing her own employer, Paris Match magazine, which published the same photos. She had said she felt "ill at ease" doing so.

Miss Trierweiler has another lawsuit pending. She is suing for defamation the authors of La Frondeuse (The Troublemaker), a biography that claims she engaged in a three-way relationship with François Hollande and a Right-wing former minister.

Last week she admitted to having "stumbled" at the start of her new role after months of controversy, adding: "You do not become first lady overnight."

Last month Closer was banned from republishing or selling topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge taken while the royal couple was holidaying in Provence.

French prosecutors then launched a preliminary criminal inquiry into how the photos were obtained.