An open letter from Agnetha...

I am a strong person, but there are limits even for me.
I safeguard my private life, which I do all I can to protect, epecially for my children's sake.
I'm not one of those whom the press ombudsman has mentioned, who are in the habit of "speaking out' in the media.
I gladly take part in telling the press about my job and I have been treated in a businesslike manner.
I appreciate that, but as much as I appreciate this, I hate to see myself week after week in interviews I've never agreed to,
in newspapers and on magazine covers.

Can this be defended ? How can this be ethically accepted press ?
This constant chase and speculations about my private life is in the long run not just
inbearable,  but also destructive.
The image that the media romance about has nothing to do with myself and my reality.
What purpose does it have then ? Am I just a tool for a magazine so that they can come up
with things they themselves want to offer their readers ?

The methods being used are also loathsome and need to be reviewed.
If you don't give an interview, you are threatened with being written about anyway.
Ever since Torbjörn and I stopped living together, the tabloids have chased even him, both privately and at his workplace.
A journalist from Hänt i Veckan - Henry Sidoli - went to the police station - among other places - where torbjörn was on duty
and tried to bribe him with money for an interview.
Ofcourse he was sent away, but this unpleasant case demonstrates to us once again the methods of some of the press.
Further on, the same tabloid has put a photo of me on the cover, a photo from the filming of a movie I'm now working on (Raskenstam)
with the big headline 'Pregnant Abba-Agnetha alone again'.
No, Abba-Agnetha is not pregnant. It is the character Lisa Mattson whom I portray in the movie who is pregnant.There is quite a difference.

Svensk Damtidning now has a series of several issues, for their readers, about a made-up romance between Gunnar Hellström and me,
also based on photos from the filming of the movie.
Headlines on the cover of issue 34 'This year's big love pair' and in issue 35 'this is how love changed Agnetha'.

There is no private romance between Gunnar Hell ström and me. It is Svensk Damtidnings way of interpreting photos from the filming of
the movie. They ruthlessly mix movie and reality.

The method has become a habit. Why shouldn't we, who are subjected to this, not receive a reply or denial in the same format as
the newspaper uses ? How else can the damage be corrected ?

I myself value honesty,openness and respect most of all in life. By the mentioned magazines, I'm constantly subjected to their deceitfulness,
lies and speculations in my private life.
So the press follow entirely different rules of the game than the ones the press ombudsman mentions under the heading 'Respect the
personal integrity',  which orders the papers to refrain from publicity that can violate the sanctity of private life, unless an imperative
general interest demands public illustration.

I will now report these major violations of the private life area to the press ombudsman and encourage anyone else who has been treated
in a similar way to do the same and in that way see whether 'the press clearing operation' works.

Agnetha Fältskog