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He firmly believes Skeeter should be stopped.
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Witch Weekly:
An exclusive
Rita Skeeter to be sued for defamation.
Leon Beery, 27 year old star of WWN soap 'The Aurors', is preparing a legal case to sue celebrated entertainment reporter Rita Skeeter, writes Stevia Hodgepodge.
Beery, amongst others in his Hogwarts cohort, has recently been on the receiving end of malicious articles by Skeeter in the wizarding world's most famous newspaper, The Daily Prophet. These have included speculation as to the nature of Beery's relationship with co-star Alexia Sandwell, insinuation that he is a love cheat, and the father of a secret illegitimate child.
However, Witch Weekly can exclusively reveal that not only does Beery dispute the veracity of every single one of these 'stories', there is actual, verifiable evidence to support his claims - and a top magical lawyer agrees that Rita Skeeter has a case to answer. I examine these facts below.
Claim: The case of the Ex
One of the fabrications central to Skeeter's recent stories has been that Natasha Erikson, an ex girlfriend of Beery's from their Hogwarts days, recently came back into the actor's life in order to steal him from Alexia Sandwell. The truth?
Erikson didn't just come back into Beery's life - she has only just come back into the country, having been working in India for Gringotts' bank for the last few years. The time necessary to put homewrecking machinations in place simple hasn't existed. Ever.
Claim Two: The Love Child that isn't.
Another scandalous accusation was that Beery had fathered a son by Erikson two years ago, and that Erikson was using motherhood to manipulate her way back into her ex's life. I have a source that confirms, in a world first, that not only is the child not Beery's... he is not Erikson's, either.
The cute blond tot is the young son of one of Erikson's closest friends, Polish born Auror Anzelm Szczepanski. In a twist to the tale, all three are friends from their schooldays as Szczepanski was one of the Durmstrang students who attended Hogwarts in the 1994-5 school year for the infamous Triwizard Tournament. Szczepanski and Erikson are believed to have attended the Yule Ball together as friends, although he is now married to another young Tournament entrant.
About the author
Stevia Hodgepodge works for Witch Weekly's legal team. She has the hots for at least three WWN soap stars.
The best friend of hotshot Bulgaria Seeker Viktor Krum, Szczepanski asked Erikson to be godmother to his eldest child, now five years old. It is believed that his friendship with Erikson was strengthened during the Second Wizarding War, when Erikson's father was killed and she fled to Poland with her mother. Famously against the Dark Arts and all signs of blood purity, the Szczepanski family (the patriarch of whom is celebrated anti-purism lawyer Andnej Szczepanski Snr) gave the Eriksons shelter in their time of need.
So, not only is the child in question - who is undeniably adorable, let it be said - not the offspring of Leon Beery and Natasha Erikson, as stated by Rita Skeeter, he is actually simply a godson out for a trip out with his godmother.
Since when was a babysitting errand run considered "evidence" for a "scoop", Ms Skeeter?
Claim Three: Co-star romance
Central to Rita Skeeter's claims built up around this attractive foursome is that Beery's heart belongs to his co-star in 'The Aurors', Alexia Sandwell. The two have been built up to the point of being the two most important characters to the show's ongoing storylines, central to which is a will-they-won't-they romance and career rivalry. Of course, celebrity romances sell magazines, but the proof that this one isn't true? The fact that the female half of the rumoured couple is actually gay.
That's right, Rita Skeeter imagined that two close friends couldn't possibly have a platonic relationship, and paired them off - but she couldn't be more wrong. It is an open secret within the entertainment field that Sandwell is not attracted to the opposite sex and is currently single, though her reasons for not being publicly out are not known. However, the fact that she and Beery get on so well could be behind the fact why no public denials on this particular issue have been forthcoming - protecting his friend's privacy, perhaps?
Either way, it is quite clear that Rita Skeeter's bizarre campaign against the truth in the lives of Leon Beery, Natasha Erikson, Anzelm Szczepanski and Alexia Sandwell should now come to an end with a successful court ruling. We wish the four the best of luck with the rumoured legal action and hope that Ms Skeeter will learn an important lesson on journalistic ethics... and the importance of doing one's research.