Scarlett Johansson's defamation trial begins in France

Scarlett Johansson's defamation trial against French author Gregoire Delacourt has begun in Paris.

The actress claims the writer's La premiere chose qu'on regarde (The First Thing We Look At) makes "fraudulent use of her name, fame and image" and she is seeking an injunction to stop the book from being translated or adapted for the big screen.

Delacourt and his publisher have dismissed the allegations as "crazy".

Johansson sued the author and his publisher JC Lattes last summer (Jun13) after the author described the heroine of his novel as Ms Johansson's "doppelganger".

The actress has demanded 50,000 euros in damages. Her lawyer argues the bestseller contains "defamatory claims about her private life".

He explains, "It (book) does what the tabloids do, it says anything."

The Paris tribunal is expected to last until July (14).