David and Victoria Beckham are suing Britain's News of the World in London for reporting their marriage was less than rosy.

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The tabloid claimed in 2004 the soccer star and his celebrity wife were just pretending to be happy to protect their public images.

The newspaper reported the union could not recover from Beckham's alleged affair with an assistant and its lawyer told a High Court judge the News of the World was sticking to its story, Sky News reported Tuesday.

"The claimants have been cynically and hypocritically trying to convince the public that they continue to enjoy a happy marriage," attorney Richard Spearman charged.

The Beckhams released a statement saying: "We do not deny that we promote ourselves as a happily married couple. We say that's because it is true."

The Beckham's suit is expected to be heard Dec. 5.