Nov 29, 2007 4:02 pm US/Eastern
Woman Sues Enquirer Over Ted K Story
BOSTON (AP) ―
A woman and her son have sued The National Enquirer, claiming the supermarket tabloid fabricated stories that said she gave birth to a son fathered by Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy.
The defamation lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston on Tuesday claims two articles that appeared in the tabloid in early 2006 contained "false and sensationalized reporting and outright fabrications."
The articles claimed the woman, Caroline Bilodeau-Allen of Sandwich, gave birth to a son fathered by Kennedy more than two decades ago, and the Democrat gave her money and other gifts to keep the son a secret. Bilodeau-Allen's son, Christopher Allen, is 22.
The lawsuit says "In reality, Sen. Kennedy did not father Mrs. Bilodeau-Allen's `love-child.' There is no paternity test which proves Sen. Kennedy fathered Mrs. Bilodeau-Allen's son."
The National Enquirer said in a statement that it had no reason to doubt the source of the information and that the plaintiffs declined several opportunities to deny the initial story prior to publication. The source was not identified.
"We intend to vigorously defend the lawsuit and have every confidence that we will prevail at trial," the statement said.
Kennedy's office did not return a message for comment Thursday.
Kennedy, 75, has three children with his first wife, Joan. They divorced in 1982 and he married Victoria Reggie in 1992. Kennedy's primary home is his family's compound on Hyannisport, near Sandwich.
David H. Rich, a lawyer for mother and son, would not comment on whether Bilodeau-Allen and Kennedy knew each other.
The lawsuit claims Bilodeau-Allen and her son were "emotionally devastated" by the articles and sought mental health counseling as a result. Bilodeau-Allen suffered severe weight loss and Allen, a college student, "was subjected to ridicule and scorn among his peer group."
"These articles negatively affected every aspect of their being," Rich said.
The lawsuit also named the tabloid's parent company, American Media Inc., which operates in Boca Raton, Fla., and reporters Alan Butterfield and Richard Moriarty as defendants. It seeks unspecified monetary damages.
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