Ozzy's "Freak Show" Pays Big

Osbourne receives undisclosed settlement over tabloid story challenging his health at Brit Awards

Being called a freak may not be such a bad thing after all.

Ozzy Osbourne has accepted undisclosed damages and an apology from Britain's Daily Star over a story alleging he collapsed twice before hosting February's Brit Awards, creating behind-the-scenes chaos for the major U.K. music ceremony.

In the article titled "Ozzy's Freak Show," the tabloid also claimed the 59-year-old rocker was in such a poor state that he had to be transported around the show on an electric buggy and that event organizers held last-minute discussions to determine whether he should be allowed to carry on his emcee duties.

Osbourne and his family—including wife Sharon, son Jack and daughter Kelly—served as the hosts of the live ceremony. They were not present in court for the decision.

"The claimant is a highly successful touring artist who has just completed a sell-out world tour," John Kelly, Osbourne's attorney, told the London High Court today. "The publication of false allegations that the claimant was in such a poor state of health that he was incapable of hosting an awards ceremony...are extremely serious."

Kelly further added that the paper never came to the rocker with the allegations before going to print, thereby denying him the opportunity to refute.

A lawyer for the Daily Star, Kate Wilson, told the court the tabloid now accepted the allegations were untrue and should not have been published, and apologized for the "considerable embarrassment and distress" caused to the family.

The undisclosed, though likely substantial, damages will be donated to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program.