The French tabloid Closer has
been fined over its recent claims that far-right leader Florian
Philippot is gay.
The magazine earlier this month ran
photographs of Philippot and his alleged boyfriend in a romantic
escapade in Vienna. Its front cover included a photo of the men, the
boyfriend's face pixelated, next to the headline “Yes to love for
everyone,” a reference to France's recently-approved law which
allows gay couples to marry, dubbed “marriage for all.”
A
judge on Wednesday ordered Closer to pay 20,000 euros
($24,000) in damages and publish the verdict on its front page for
invading Philippot's privacy. The magazine must also pay Philippot's
legal fees of 3,500 euros.
Philippot's lawyer argued Monday that
the publication was motivated by financial, not public, interest when
it published the spread.
Closer argued the opposite,
saying that Philippot is a high-ranking and often quoted member of
the Front National (FN) Party, whose leadership is strongly divided
on marriage equality.