Catriona Gray wins libel case against showbiz editor, writer
Catriona Gray has won the liber and cyber libel cases she filed against a showbiz editor and writer in 2020.
The Miss Universe 2018 titleholder's legal counsel, Atty. Joji Alonso, shared about the win in an Instagram post on Sept. 21.
"Finally after four years, the libel and cyber libel cases filed by [Catriona Gray] have been resolved," she said.
Alonso added that the writer and editor of Bulgar, Janice Navida and Melba Llanera, were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of libel under Art. 355 of the Revised Penal Code. They were also sentenced to prison.
Navida, meanwhile, was also found guilty of cyber libel.
In 2020, Alonso released a statement slamming the alleged topless photo of Gray that made the rounds online and "a certain tabloid" that was releasing it.
"We want to inform the public that the photo is fake and digitally altered," the legal counsel said in her statement four years ago.
Gray filed a formal complaint following this and also sought help from the National Bureau of Investigation to identify the individuals behind the photo.
She also demanded a public apology from Bulgar and P10 million in legal damages.
Instead of an apology, Navida issued her own statement saying that they did their part to "protect" Gray by "not releasing the original photo sent" to them. She further said that their intention was to "inform the readers" about individuals spreading the obscene photo.