Giggs 'accepts Imogen Thomas not a blackmailer'

Manchester United star Ryan Giggs has accepted there was no basis for accusing celebrity Imogen Thomas of blackmail, the High Court has heard.The reality TV star took legal action to defend her character after the Sun accused her of having an affair with a footballer, later revealed as Mr Giggs.The midfielder had sought an injunction preventing his name being published after the article appeared, and said he had suspected she might sell her story.Ms Thomas, 28, said she was vindicated. In a statement read outside the court in London, she said: "To suddenly have to defend my character because of this legal process has been extremely upsetting and stressful."I'm just relieved that the parties and the court now accept that I'm no blackmailer. I have been vindicated and that's all I wanted."I have nothing to add - it's all behind me now."The High Court heard that in the witness statement supporting Mr Giggs's injunction application, he had said Ms Thomas' conduct had led him to suspect she was thinking of selling her story to the press. "He also said that she had asked him for money to assist in the purchase of a flat and that he had become suspicious about her motivation," Ms Thomas's advocate, David Price QC, said.He added: "Notwithstanding these qualifications in the judgement, the allegation of blackmail was widely and prominently reported by the media as if it were established fact."This was not correct. It has been extremely damaging and distressing to Ms Thomas."Mr Price also said the Sun had now made it clear Ms Thomas was not responsible for the article in April.On granting the injunction preventing the publication of further details of Ms Thomas's and Mr Giggs's alleged affair, the judge had said it appeared Ms Thomas had been trying to blackmail the footballer.The case dominated the news agenda in the spring as speculation mounted about the identity of the "high-profile" footballer behind the injunction.Mr Giggs was then widely identified on social networking sites, a Scottish newspaper, and eventually named in Parliament.