Kate Winslet accepts £25k libel payout

Kate Winslet has accepted £25,000 in libel damages from the Daily Mail over allegations that she lied about her fitness regime.

The settlement was agreed at London's High Court earlier today, though Winslet was not personally present for the hearing, BBC News reports.

Winslet had announced that she was suing the newspaper in May. Her suit was in relation to an article published in January which had accused her of misleading the public about how much she exercises.

In a statement today, the Oscar-winning actress said: "I am delighted that the Mail have apologised for making false allegations about me."

She continued: "I was particularly upset to be accused of lying about my exercise regime and felt that I had a responsibility to request an apology in order to demonstrate my commitment to the views that I have always expressed about body issues, including diet and exercise.

"I strongly believe that women should be encouraged to accept themselves as they are, so to suggest that I was lying was an unacceptable accusation of hypocrisy."

The article in question suggested that Winslet had been dishonest when she told Elle magazine that she relies on workout DVDs because she does not use gyms. The Daily Mail printed a retraction and apologised in September.