Clint Eastwood: Forgiven?

Los Angeles, Aug. 13 (Reuters): Actor Clint Eastwood has dropped a libel lawsuit over an unauthorised biography in exchange for the removal of passages from the book, including claims that the Unforgiven star beat his wife, attorneys for both sides said yesterday.

Eastwood, 74, sued author Patrick McGilligan and St. Martin’s Press over Clint: The Life and Legend in federal court in San Jose, claiming the book contained false and defamatory statements. The book was previously published in the UK by HarperCollins.

The offending material included statements by a former associate who said in a tape-recorded interview that he had seen Eastwood abuse his former wife Maggie.

The former associate later recanted the claim and McGilligan and his publisher agreed to remove the statement from future editions, the attorneys said.

Other terms of the settlement were not disclosed due to a confidentiality statement, the attorneys said.