Professional soccer player Rio Ferdinand is suing the Sunday Mirror for invasion of privacy after the Mirror's April 2010 "kiss and tell" report alleging Ferdinand had an affair, The Guardian reported.

Ferdinand reportedly told the court that he was "extremely upset to read the story, particularly because it came out of the blue," and that the report "has been stressful and embarrassing."

He noted that despite his celebrity, he separates his "public and private life" and doesn't "seek publicity" in his personal life.

The Belfast Telegraph reported that the woman alleged in the affair was paid £16,000 by the Mirror for her story.