Magazine caused him “mental pain”
by Philip Finn

Retired singer Frank Sinatra is seeking £2 million damages from a New York weekly over an allegation that he had secretly remarried and was soon to be a father again.

The action was brought today in Manhattan Federal Court.

Sinatra’s lawyers claimed also that he suffered “great mental pain and disturbance”

Over another article in the weekly “Midnight” which alleged that he had cancer.

The court was told that the headline in Midnight dated November 1st – already on sale on the news stands -says “Sinatra married -he’ll be a daddy in March”

The first article in the complaint was alleged to have been published on May 10 bearing a headline saying “Frank Sinatra has cancer”

‘FALSE’

Sinatra charges that the article “Falsely stated” that he had been forced to retire because he suffered from cancer of the throat and within a year would be forced to be confined to a hospital to await death.

The defendants named in the case have 20 days in which to file a reply.

John Vidar, editor of Midnight said today : “Of course we shall defend the action, and I don’t think we have anything to fear”

Sinatra, who is 56, retired earlier this year.