LOS ANGELES, April 3 (UPI) -- A Los Angeles judge has awarded Cameron Diaz damages and dismissed a suit filed against her by a photographer convicted of blackmailing her.
Diaz's publicist told E! Online statuatory damages were awarded to the actress Thursday and the civil suit filed by John Rutter accusing Diaz of fraud and breach of contract was tossed.
Diaz had sued Rutter in 2004 after he tried to sell her topless photos he took of her early in her career for $3.3 million. When he threatened to sell them elsewhere for $5 million, Diaz sued.
Rutter then countersued, claiming Diaz led him to believe she wanted to buy the photos. Her attorneys brought police into the case and Rutter was convicted last summer of forgery, perjury and attempted grand larceny.
The judge in the civil case issued a permanent injunction barring any sale, license or use of the photos and videotape.
The sum of the damages awarded Thursday were not revealed and a hearing is still pending on whether Rutter should pay Diaz's legal fees for the civil case.
