TAKE THAT - WILLIAMS' FORMER MANAGER AWARDED LIBEL DAMAGES

WILLIAMS' FORMER MANAGER AWARDED LIBEL DAMAGES

Former TAKE THAT manager NIGEL MARTIN SMITH has been awarded libel damages by ROBBIE WILLIAMS' record company after the star suggested he had stolen money from the band in one of his solo songs. Martin Smith won an undisclosed amount from the producers of Williams' Rudebox album, Chrysalis Records, for the defamatory lyrics at a hearing in London's High Court on Friday (01Feb08). The record label apologised and claimed it did not intend to accuse Smith of theft in the song The 90s. Williams, 33, has already issued a public apology to Smith and paid costs and damages of around $1 million (GBP500,000) following an earlier court ruling in December (07). Advance copies given to media outlets contained the libelous lyrics - but the words were changed before the 2006 LP was released to the public.