Celebrities are always under the spotlight. Not only when they're on stage doing their jobs professionally, but also when they are behind the cameras.
Sometimes, the private lives of celebrities are more demanding that they outshine their professional lives.
And in this time, Adele was made the victim.
Somewhere, at the back seat of a parked car, a woman was seen having sex with a man, with the scene recorded using a smartphone by the man.
It was French paparazzi Jean-Claude Elfassi who first announced it on Twitter, saying that he had obtained a sex tape starring the singer Adele.
He said that it was his plan to release the tape, following his article on French tabloid Public that featured a cover story announcing "Exclusive! Adele sex tape! Her ex’s revenge!" along with three pages of stills taken from the video.
The magazine stated that the tape was purchased from Adele’s ex-boyfriend for "several thousand Euros."
The publication further claimed that the sex tape is a "very risqué" tape, and that a "close friend" of Adele is quoted as saying Adele was "devastated" when she found out the images had been leaked.
Born as Adele Laurie Blue Adkins in 1988 in London, Adele is an English singer and songwriter, and considered as one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Since her debut in 2008, she quickly spawned numerous top singles.
And this time, the singer's popularity is considered beyond the roof, with her 19 and her 21 album receiving numerous accolades and positive reception from the public.
And realizing that the French tabloid was accusing her wrongly, publishing something that is not her, the singer sued.
The multi-Grammy Award winner sought help from law firm Schillings to launch legal action against the publication over the hoax tape.
Her lawyers said that Adele made no sex tape with her ex-boyfriend, and the alleged video and photos are all fake.
"We are informed that the French magazine Public has today published images which it claims show our client in a sex tape," her lawyers said. "Our client has not appeared in a sex tape as claimed in the article. Our client does not appear in the photographs. Such claims are untrue and grossly defamatory. Our client is taking legal action in relation to this matter."
It's "100 percent false," the lawyers added.
In a tweet that was later deleted, the singer said that:
Responding to the lawsuit, the links shared by Elfassi were taken down.
But still, the alleged sex tape, the news about it, and the legal threats by Adele, surged the French tabloid's website. As a result of the huge traffic, the site was down for a few times.
This incident caused Adele a number of embarrassment. But still, her career is looking good, as she just made a startling comeback following her throat surgery.
She has also moved into a new £15,000-a-month mansion.