Actress Cameron Diaz has given evidence in the case against a photographer who allegedly tried to blackmail her after taking topless photographs of her before she was famous.
The 42-year-old photographer, John Rutter, denies charges of attempted grand theft and forging Diaz's signature on a model release form in 1992. An earlier charge of extortion was dropped.
Diaz told a Los Angeles court yesterday: "I've never felt so violated. Nobody ever said, 'I'm going to hurt you.' It leaves a hole in my chest. It makes me sick to my stomach."
The actress said that she did the photo shoot because she wanted to break out of a teenage modelling career.
"The photos were to be used solely in publications of a quality that we agreed on," she said.
Diaz claimed that Rutter had contacted her in June 2003, saying that he had buyers, who were willing to pay up to $5m for the photographs.
"He said he had many buyers and the people wanted to portray me as a dark angel in a bad light," said Diaz.
According to the actress, Rutter demanded that she pay him $3.3m in two days in order for him to stop the release of the photographs.
Rutter's lawyer, Mark Werksman, claims that his client was "guilty of being a nice guy" by offering her the chance to buy the photographs first.
If found guilty of the charges Rutter could face up to six years in jail. Diaz has also filed a civil suit seeking damages against the photographer.
