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An unhappy Sienna Miller testifies at UK phone-hacking trial
Actress Sienna Miller said that she and James Bond star Daniel Craig had been close, but lashed out at how her personal details were made public.
London - British actress Sienna Miller has admitted that she had a fling with James Bond star Daniel Craig, but has also lashed out at how her personal details have been made public.
Giving evidence at Britain's phone-hacking trial by videolink from the United States, Ms Miller told London's Old Bailey court last Friday that she and Mr Craig had been close. However she attacked "titillating" press reports that they had a full-blown affair while she was dating actor Jude Law in 2005. "It was a very brief encounter," she said.
Ms Miller was giving evidence at the trial of several former executives at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World tabloid accused of conspiring to intercept voicemail messages. She said she was unhappy that personal details had been disclosed in the trial.
"This is a really difficult and uncomfortable period of my life to discuss," she said, adding that the evidence had meant she had been "gossiped about and analysed and vilified".
Defendants include Andy Coulson, who edited News of the World and then became Prime Minister David Cameron's head of communications up to early 2011. He is accused of conspiracy to illegally intercept messages on mobile phones, a charge he denies. Six others, including Rebekah Brooks, the former head of the British newspaper arm of Mr Murdoch's News Corp, are also on trial. All seven deny charges linked to the scandal.
Last week, her former boyfriend, actor Jude Law, was quizzed about their relationship, which had fascinated Britain's tabloid press. He testified that he had telephoned Mr Craig to confront him about his alleged affair with Ms Miller.
Former News of the World reporter Dan Evans, who has pleaded guilty to phone-hacking, told the trial last week that he intercepted a message left by Ms Miller to Mr Craig and used this as the basis for a story in October 2005 reporting that the pair were having an affair.
Mr Evans told the court the message said: "Hi, it's me. Can't speak. I'm at the Groucho (club) with Jude. I love you." Ms Miller told the jury last Friday it was "likely" she had left the message.
"Yes, I had always ended my phone calls to Daniel 'I love you' - it was a declaration of friendship," she said.
Coulson's lawyer Mr Timothy Langdale, who has accused Evans of lying about the former editor's knowledge of the hacked voicemail, suggested to her that, given what she had said, it could not have formed the basis for a subsequent News of the World exclusive story about the affair.
"People who heard who didn't understand the relationship would have thought it was a pretty exciting message to hear," said Ms Miller.
"Whether or not I was in a relationship with Daniel Craig at the time, it was a very brief encounter. He was my best friend. My saying 'I love you' was nothing new.
"It has been turned into a titillating piece of information. I really regret it was turned into something to be analysed."
The London courtroom was packed for Ms Miller's appearance and there were roars of laughter when a time delay on the videolink left Ms Miller baffled by one of Mr Langdale's questions.
"You just told me you loved me and I interrupted," Ms Miller told the bespectacled lawyer wearing a traditional grey wig.
After her evidence was completed, the judge John Saunders apologised to Ms Miller for any distress the airing of personal details had caused.
"I'm very sorry if it's had an effect on you," he said.
AFP, Reuters