Penthouse bust: Lensman makes a clean ‘breast’ of it

Penthouse, which is owned by financially troubled General Media Communications, acknowledged its mistake and issued an apology. However both women are pursuing cases. The suit, which seeks more than $10 million in damages, argued that the magazine rushed to run the pictures without confirming they were of Kournikova. Penthouse founder Bob Guccione testified that he spent five or six days comparing the video to Internet photos of Kournikova.

Article’s author Annette Witheridge testified she had been asked to write an article to accompany the photos. She said Kournikova’s quotes in the article came from the Internet or published sources.

Ramaesiri, who is not a professional photographer, said he got confused as the sunbather looked Russian, appeared to be seeking privacy and because of the size of her nipples. He said he had seen Kournikova’s photo on the Internet in which her dress was soaked with sweat, revealing the shape of her nipples. ‘‘They were evident … the diameter matched what we had on film,’’ he said.

The salesman, wiping tears from his eyes, called himself an ‘‘idiot’’ and apologised to the women and Guccione in court.

(Reuters)