Cheryl Fernandez-Versini’s husband has accepted undisclosed privacy damages over a magazine article which speculated about their “secret” wedding.

Businessman Jean Bernard Fernandez-Versini, who married the 31-year-old singer in July, brought proceedings for invasion of privacy and breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 at London’s High Court against Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, publisher of Heat magazine.

A picture of Cheryl and Jean Bernard Fernandez-Versini at a party
Cheryl and Jean Bernard Fernandez-Versini got married in July (Ian West/PA Wire/Press Association Images)

His solicitor, Callum Galbraith, told Mr Justice Dingemans that the upset and distress caused by the article, which appeared in August, was compounded by the fact that Jean Bernard had sought to avoid the media’s glare. The article also contained inaccuracies which the magazine did not put to him in advance of publication.

Mr Galbraith said that the article claimed that Cheryl had paid for her wedding ring and that her mother was to live with the couple.

Published across four pages, it speculated about what happened prior to and during the wedding, although it acknowledged it had been “secret”, and went on to comment about how they would live in the future.

He added that the publishers now accepted that the article amounted to an unjustified intrusion into Jean Bernard’s private and family life, had apologised and agreed to pay him damages and contribute to his legal costs.

Jean Bernard and Cheryl were at the hearing.