Joey Barton Apologizes to Jeremy Vine and Agrees to Pay Damages

Former footballer Joey Barton issues a public apology to BBC presenter Jeremy Vine and agrees to pay £75,000 in damages following a legal battle over defamatory social media comments.

The High Court ruled that Barton’s 11 online posts targeting Vine, including accusations of having a sexual interest in children, were defamatory.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Barton expressed remorse for the distress caused to Vine and acknowledged the serious nature of the false allegations.

He also admitted to misrepresenting Vine’s views on forced vaccination during the Covid-19 pandemic and engaging in taunting behavior post-litigation.

As part of the resolution, Barton agreed to refrain from making similar defamatory claims against Vine and committed to paying damages and legal fees.

The altercation began with Barton comparing female football pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward to serial killers, which led to Vine questioning Barton’s judgment.

Subsequently, Barton targeted Vine with a series of abusive posts on Twitter, escalating to baseless accusations and derogatory remarks.

Barton’s derogatory posts culminated in associating Vine with notorious individuals such as Jimmy Savile, Gary Glitter, and Jeffrey Epstein, prompting legal action from Vine.

Despite an initial offer from Vine’s legal team to settle the dispute, Barton continued with the defamatory posts, resulting in a ruling against him in the High Court.

In response to the ruling, Barton publicly apologized to Vine again and agreed to the terms of the settlement, including the payment of damages and legal expenses.

The case highlighted the impact of online defamation and the legal consequences of spreading false information on social media platforms.