The 53-year-old actress, Kathleen Turner issued an apology yesterday in the High Court to the actor Nicholas Cage.

In Miss Turner’s memoirs ‘Send Yourself Roses’, she described working with Mr Cage in 1986, when they were on the set of the film ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’.  She claimed her fellow actor was “arrested twice for drink-driving and, I think, for stealing a dog,  He’d come across a chihuahua he liked and stuck it in his jacket.”

Mr Cage immediately issued a statement which said “I have never been arrested for anything in my life, nor have I stolen a dog.”

Neither of the actors attended the High Court yesterday to hear Mr Cage’s solicitor, Simon Smith telling the judge of the “utter falsity” of the allegations.  Mr Smith stated that mistakes had been accepted by Miss Turner, Associated Newspapers and Headline Publishing Company and that despite the other defendants publishing in good faith, the allegations were defamatory, false, and should not have been published.

Mr Smith added that they had apologised for the damage caused to Mr Cage’s personal and professional reputation and for the “considerable distress and embarrassment.”  They reimbursed all of Mr Cage’s costs and a substantial donation to a charity of Mr Cage’s choice was made.”

Outside the Court, Mr Smith said “My client is extremely pleased with the outcome, which sets the record straight, since he has never been arrested for drunk-driving, dog theft or anything else. As an actor who stars in family-friendly films and who has a young child and teenager of his own, Mr Cage was understandably upset at having wrongly been depicted as condoning that sort of reckless, dangerous and criminal behaviour.  Mr Cage is gratified that the defendants have done the right thing by acknowledging their errors and making amends, which Mr Cage has directed be donated to a worthy charitable cause.”