CHAPLIN - DOWNEY JNR SUED FOR DEFAMATION

CHAPLIN star ROBERT DOWNEY JNR is being sued by one of his former cellmates - for defamation.

The sexy star, who was jailed for three years in 1999 after repeated breaking the terms of his parole over a previous drug conviction - made comments about CHARLES BELL in an article in VANITY FAIR magazine.

Downey Jnr was released from jail in 2000 after serving only part of his sentence and spoke to the American publication shortly after.

In the article he described Bell as a "recovering pimp" who "talks to satalites.

Now Bell is responding by suing the actor, Vanity Fair and it's publisher CONDE NAST for the comments.

He argues that the remarks were part of a "scheme to increase the sinking ego" of Downey and "to increase the public's opinion of him."

He is hoping to elicit $100,000 (GBP66,000) from the trio of defendants.