The X Factor judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini was enraged after a fashion journalist shared a photo of her online where she was shown washing her hands in the bathroom in the presence of what seemed to be lines of a white substance.
The image, which has since been deleted, was taken by freelance journalist Laura Craik on Nov. 23, Monday when Versini attended the British Fashion Awards. Craik posted the picture on her Instagram account with the caption, "Sadness in her eyes." She removed it shortly after upon realizing the controversy it might create, wrote The Sun.
The incident prompted Versini - who serves as the mentor to X Factor 2015 contenders 4th Impact and Reggie N Bollie - to take a legal action and have her team send legal notices to ban the publication of the photo in any media outlet. According to the site, the X Factor judge seemed unaware of the white substance on the counter and that she was simply using the bathroom.
Versini's camp suggested that the lines might just be due to a reflection of the light in the mirror, while emphasizing that the 32-year-old reality TV judge "absolutely despises drugs."
"It's outrageous that someone in the fashion industry has taken a picture of Cheryl like this and posted it publicly," an insider close to the star told the publication.
According to the Daily Mail, Versini has always been anti-drug use especially since after the death of her close friend, John Courtney, over drug overdose years ago. Courtney, a football player, had just turned 21 when he died from a heroin overdose.
In 2008's "Cheryl Cole: Her Story - The Unauthorised Biography," the TV personality shared how her friend's death put her off drugs for life, calling it a "nightmare that devastated all John's family and friends."
Hours after the photo emerged and her subsequent legal action, Versini made public appearances again on Tuesday as she attended an interview on BBC Radio 1 and a charity event in Picadilly after, the Daily Mail reported.
The former Girls Aloud member seemed to be in good spirits as she joined her X Factor co-judge Nick Grimshaw in his radio show together with her two remaining acts, 4th Impact and Reggie N Bollie. She was also seen smiling at her onlookers at the BBC Radio 1 studios and maintaining her humble demeanor as she stopped to take selfies with her fans.
