Beckham suing over prostitute claims

A prostitute's claim that England and LA Galaxy player David Beckham had a threesome with her and another escort is being challenged by the soccer star, The Sun reported Thursday.

The former England captain branded them Wednesday night as "wholly unfounded" and "a series of malicious lies."

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Beckham's management company says in a statement the allegations in the weekly In Touch are "completely untrue and totally ridiculous as the magazine was clearly told before publication.

"Sadly we live in a world where a magazine can print lies and believe they can get away with it. We are taking legal action against the magazine," the statement said.

A friend told The Sun, "This is an absolute stitch-up job [set up]. David has been set up and we believe it may be a malicious attempt to discredit him."

Beckham launched the legal battle after Irma Nici, 26, claimed he paid her $5,000 in cash to have unprotected sex at New York's Le Parker Meridien hotel in August 2007.

Bosnian-born Nici claimed they were then joined by another prostitute and that father-of-three Beckham, 35, paid $2,300 to watch them before having sex with the second girl, described as a "curvy brunette." After the second girl left, Nici said the LA Galaxy player gave her another $5,000 to stay the night.

Nici alleged she met Beckham again a month later at Claridge's Hotel in central London, claiming he paid her $5,000 for sex, but was "sad" at the time because his father had suffered a heart attack.

Her claims were splashed across America's In Touch magazine, published by German media group Bauer.

Top U.S. trial lawyer Bert Deixler -- honored for a string of landmark Supreme Court victories -- was hired to tackle the magazine.