Elton John and David Furnish have accepted "significant" libel damages after a newspaper alleged that their dog inflicted "Freddy Krueger-like injuries" on a child.
The couple brought proceedings against News Group Newspapers over a front page story that ran in The Sun on Sunday in February with the title 'Elton’s Dog Did This To My Girl'.
The Sun's story reported that John's spaniel bit a five-year-old girl at the singer's home in Berkshire in February 2016.
John and Furnish's solicitor Jenny Afia said the child's injuries were not series and that the allegation was "false and seriously defamatory".
Afia said the story claimed the child had been "subjected to a serious attack" and that both John and Furnish had "failed in any attempt to find out how little girl was… despite being aware of the incident".
"The truth is that the injuries were not serious, and the claimants, far from ignoring the incident, made several inquiries about the girl's welfare to her father and nanny", Afia said.
"Each time it was confirmed the girl was fine. I am pleased to say that the newspaper has now accepted unequivocally that this allegation was false and seriously defamatory.
"As a result, it has agreed now to apologise to Sir Elton John and David Furnish, and to pay significant damages as well as to reimburse their legal costs."
News Group Newspapers' solicitor, Jeffrey Smele, said: "The defendant offers its apology to the claimants and is pleased that the matter has been amicably resolved."
John and Furnish married in 2014 and have two children - seven-year-old Zachary and five-year-old Elijah.
