I lied about wedding pictures, says former 'Hello!' employee

A key figure in the Catherine Zeta Jones wedding pictures trial told a judge yesterday that she had lied to a court because she feared she would lose her income from the celebrity magazine Hello!.

The Marquesa De Varela told Mr Justice Lindsay at the High Court that the magazine's managing director, Javier Riera, had asked her to sign untrue statements sent by fax which were used to lift court orders barring distribution of its wedding edition.

The Marquesa made a statement saying that her company, Neneta Overseas Ltd, sold exclusive rights in the wedding pictures to Eduardo Sanchez-Junco, owner of Hello!, on 19 November, 2000.

But she had no rights to the pictures, the court was told.

She said: "I was very surprised to have received such a fax as it was requesting me to say something that was not true. I was still very concerned as to what I should do because my whole income depended on my relationship with Hello! and Eduardo.

"The situation was all the more difficult for me as I support my three children, six grandchildren, an elderly mother and almost 200 dogs."

The Marquesa, who had been described by the magazine'sbarrister, James Price QC, as "volatile and impetuous", had been involved in negotiations to buy up the November 2000 wedding of Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas for Hello!. But the actors had turned down the magazine's offer in favour of OK! magazine which paid £1m for exclusive official photographs of the New York wedding.

Hello! used unauthorised pictures taken by a paparazzo gatecrasher. The Hollywood couple are seeking £500,000 damages for breach of confidence and privacy.

The hearing continues today.