Libel actions of News of the World

In 2005, England footballer David Beckham and his wife Victoria brought a legal action against the paper seeking libel damages over an article that carried the headline: "Posh and Becks on the Rocks." The legal action was withdrawn in 2006 and "resolved on a confidential basis," according to the couple's spokeswoman Jo Milloy.

In April 2006, England footballer Wayne Rooney received £100,000 in damages from the publishers of the News of the World and its sister paper The Sun over articles falsely reporting he had slapped his then-fiancée and now wife, Coleen. Both had always denied the reports.

In June 2006, England footballer Ashley Cole received damages from the publishers of the News of the World over articles incorrectly alleging the footballer had used a mobile phone as a gay sex toy. Together with its sister paper The Sun, the News of the World paid Cole £100,000 to settle the case

In July 2006, a libel action brought by the Scottish politician Tommy Sheridan came to court in Edinburgh. Sheridan denied allegations, made by the newspaper in November 2004 and January 2005, that he had an affair, engaged in group sex and attended a swinger's club in Manchester. Sheridan won the case and was awarded £200,000 in damages. The newspaper intends to appeal against the jury's decision, and has refused to pay out the money; Sheridan and his wife Gail were charged with perjury; the court case commenced on 4 October 2010. Charges against Gail were dropped and she was acquitted on 17 December 2010. Tommy was subsequently convicted on 23 December 10. The case was the longest perjury trial in Scottish history.

In 2008 in the invasion of privacy case Mosley v News Group Newspapers Limited the President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile Max Mosley challenged the News of the World newspaper which had alleged on 30 March 2008 that he had been involved in a sadomasochistic sex act involving several female prostitutes, when they published a video of the incident recorded by one of the women, and published details of the incident. The case resulted in Mosley being awarded £60,000 (approx. ) in damages.

In January 2010 Norwich City Football Club started legal proceedings against the News of the World after they published an article, "Canaries on Brink" on 24 January 2010 claiming that the club had begun the processes of going into administration.

In February 2010, the Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie made plans to sue the News of the World after it published allegations about their relationship.

In June 2011, the UK Press Complaint Commission (PCC) gave Yasir Hameed, Pakistani Cricketer, a victory by ordering the News of the World to remove a video and story about Yasir Hameed from its website. 

In 2011, footballer Artur Boruc won an out-of-court settlement against the News of the World after the newspaper made untrue allegations about the goalkeeper being unfaithful to his girlfriend. Mr. Boruc was paid £70,000 and a full apology was issued.

In popular culture

On the Beatles album Abbey Road, John Lennon sings, on the song "Polythene Pam", "She's the kind of a girl that makes the News of the World, yes you could say she was attractively built."

In 1977, British rock group Queen released the album News of the World, taking its name from the tabloid. The album was an international hit and went four times platinum in the United States and twice platinum in the United Kingdom.

In 1978, British new wave group The Jam recorded the song "News of the World", which had the lines "Don't believe it all. Find out for yourself. Check before you spread. News of the World."

In 1983, English-American rock group The Pretenders, released their song "Back on the Chain Gang", featuring the lyrics "The phone, T.V. and the News of the World got into the house like a pigeon from hell..." Written by the group's singer, Chrissie Hynde, the song was about the band's experience of losing their guitarist, James Honeyman-Scott, to a drug overdose, and these lines were in reference to the surviving members' inability to escape the story at the time.