(AFP) – Mar 19, 2008

PARIS (AFP) — French President Nicolas Sarkozy is dropping a lawsuit against a French weekly for reporting that he sent a text message to ex-wife Cecilia offering to call off his marriage, according to a statement by his new wife Carla Bruni to Le Monde newspaper.

Sarkozy last month lodged the complaint against Le Nouvel Observateur for reporting he had sent a SMS to Cecilia eight days before his marriage to ex-model Bruni that said: "If you come back, I'll call it all off."

A spokesman for Le Monde told AFP that Bruni's statement, saying the president had decided to withdraw his complaint, will be published in Thursday's edition of the newspaper.

France Inter radio reported that journalist Airy Routier had sent a letter to Bruni apologising for the article and admitting that it was wrong.

During questioning by police earlier this month, Cecilia had denied receiving such a text message.

The president had filed suit February 7 against the weekly's website for falsification and other charges in the case.

Sarkozy remarried on February 2, less than four months after ending his stormy 11-year marriage to Cecilia, with whom he has a young son, Louis. The couple announced their divorce on October 18.

Cecilia Ciganer-Albeniz is to marry events organiser Richard Attias in New York on Saturday. She had briefly left Sarkozy in 2005 for Attias.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »