Moss Loses Court Bid Over Allegations

SFGate

(AP) -- Kate Moss failed in a legal challenge Friday to prevent damaging allegations about her recent cocaine use from being used in an upcoming libel case.

The 32-year-old British supermodel filed the suit after British broadcaster Channel 5 aired allegations of Moss's drug use in show called "The Truth About Kate Moss" last year.

The case centers around a claim that the model shared lines of cocaine during a 2001 charity event in Barcelona, Spain, and later fell into a coma in her hotel room.

At a pretrial hearing in London on Friday, Judge David Eady gave lawyers for the television company permission to use allegations of Moss's recent drug use, first published by British tabloid the Daily Mirror in September last year.

Channel Five's lawyer Matthew Nicklin argued that full details of Moss's drug use, and a public apology she issued regarding it, needed to be brought before the court in order to mount a successful defense.

The case is likely to be heard between October and December this year.

A criminal investigation of Moss by British police is still underway. Moss voluntarily met detectives in London on Tuesday to discuss her alleged cocaine use, but was not arrested or charged with any offense, police officials said.

Police said they would eventually submit a file to prosecutors depending on the investigation's outcome. Prosecutors will then decide if any charges should be brought against the model.

Moss lost contracts with H&M, Burberry and Chanel after the Daily Mirror published pictures of her apparently using cocaine in a west London music studio.

The model, who has a 3-year-old daughter, has since visited a rehab clinic in Arizona and worked on international assignments.