George Stephanopoulos

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By SIMON CABLE

Distraction: David Beckham was all smiles as he enjoyed dinner at C London with comedian James Corden

When the drama is unfolding around them, the first thing many men do is head out on a boys night.

And that is exactly what David Beckham did last night.

The footballer enjoyed dinner and drinks at the pub with friends including James Corden, as it emerged he is facing fresh claims about his private life.

New allegations about the 35-year-old were made by the publishers of a magazine he is suing for ‘fabricating’ a story, published in September, saying he slept with a prostitute.

Several U.S. websites say In Touch Weekly’s German publishing company Bauer used the privilege of court to make the allegations which included supposed late-night trysts with an unnamed LA-based lingerie saleswoman.

But Beckham shrugged off the allegations, which have been branded 'completely without evidence,' to catch up with the Gavin & Stacey star over a meal at upmarket restaurant C London.

New drama: The boys night comes as Beckham faces fresh allegations in court about his private life by US magazine In Touch Weekly

Dressed casually in jeans and a denim shirt, the LA Galaxy player appeared to be in great spirits despite the controversy surrounding him.

Tucked away at a corner table, David laughed and joked with 32-year-old Corden, whom he has been friends with since starring together in a series of Comic and Sport Relief skits.

With wife Victoria and their three children far away at their home in Los Angles, David was free to stay out late, and he and James headed for a few drinks at Guy Ritchie's pub the Punch Bowl after dinner.

Buddies: The pair are good friends after working together on skits for Sports and Comic Relief in the last year

The A-listers may have had to fight for the top table, as the pub's owner had also stopped by with his girlfriend Jacqui Ainsley last night.

Corden will undoubtedly be asking his friend for advice on fatherhood, as he is set to welcome his first child with girlfriend Julia Carey.

The boys night would have been a welcome distraction for Beckham as the ongoing headache of his lawsuit against In Touch Weekly worsens.

Where to next? David (left) and James continued the night at Guy Ritchie's pub the Punch Bowl

A few cold ones: Beckham visited the Punch Bowl pub, were owner Guy Ritchie was also drinking

The legal documents containing the claims by Bauer were filed in the U.S. in response to a writ issued by the former England captain, who is suing the magazine for £16million for saying he slept with 26-year-old Bosnian Imra Nici.

But those close to the star say there is no truth to the allegations. ‘This is a smokescreen and it is not going to hold up in court,’ the source said.

‘He is not backing down – he plans to go full throttle in this matter.’
The source added: ‘This posturing, with no evidence and no facts, isn’t going to stall the inevitable.’

Ambassador: Beckham was shown round the Olympic stadium yesterday by Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee Lord Coe

The past few months have seen the Beckham family face one scandal after another.
Just a month after they were left reeling by the story in In Touch Weekly, David was named in the bitter divorce of their 'acquaintances' Kambiz and Shery Shabani.

Mr Shabani, a 42-year-old lawyer accused his estranged wife of having an affair with Beckham, but the claims were quickly rubbished by both Shery, a jewellery designer, and the Beckhams' lawyers.

A spokesman for Beckham told the Daily Mail at the time: ‘As with another recent story, this is another tale full of fantasy.’

Bromance: David and James filmed a hilarious skit for Sport Relief earlier this year

The ongoing headaches for the family come after a few relatively scandal-free years following the sensational allegations in 2004 that Beckham had an affair with his former PA Rebecca Loos.

Though he branded the claims 'ludicrous' at the time, the story threatened to damage the Beckham brand and left Victoria, 36, devastated.

She said in an interview with W magazine in 2007: 'I'm not going to lie. It was a really tough time.'

'It was hard for our entire families. But I realised a lot of people have a price. David and I got through it together. No one said marriage was going to be easy.'

Scandal: Beckham has denied allegations that he had trysts with Bosnian prostitute Imra Nici (left) and had an affair with family friend Shery Shabani

Meanwhile, Coleen and Wayne Rooney, 25, are said to be discussing a trial separation, as the couple are still struggling to overcome the footballer's cheating scandal.

Reports of Wayne's alleged prostitute scandal came out in September, claiming that the Manchester United star paid Jennifer Thompson £1,200 a night for sex, and took part in a threesome with her friend Helen Wood while Coleen was pregnant with their son Kai.

Coleen, 24, has tried to put the devastating time behind her but a source told Closer magazine that she's now contemplating the idea of a temporary separation in January to help their marriage.

'Coleen is mulling over the idea of herself and Wayne taking time apart in the new year. She says it's not working as it is at the moment - the trust is not being rebuilt.

'She's desperate as they're running out of options to fix it. They've tried counselling, they've tried a holiday away and now they're looking at Wayne moving out temporarily and living apart for a while', the source said.

The source added that their separation may only be for a few weeks, as Coleen doesn't want to disrupt their one-year-old son's life.

Family night out: Coleen and Wayne Rooney took their son Kai to Old Trafford for Manchester United's match on the weekend amidst their marriage woes

Beckham, who last week was in Australia where his team lost to the Newcastle Jets, is back in Europe taking part in England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

Today he will fly with Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince William to Zurich in a final attempt to persuade delegates to vote for England's package.

Yesterday he was given a tour of the Olympic Stadium by Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee Lord Coe.

Beckham said yesterday that he was confident of England's chances, despite the country's bid being threatened by a damaging episode of Panorama.

The BBC's programme last night claimed that three FIFA executives took bribes in a $100 million (£64 million) scandal.

The allegations - screened three days before the destination for the tournament in 2018 is decided - were threatening to wreck England's chances.