The 74-year-old actor filed suit against the author and publisher of "Clint: The Life and Legend" in federal court. The suit alleged that author Patrick McGilligan and publisher St. Martin's Press included defamatory statements in the book and material that was false.

The most controversial of this material was a statement from a former associate of Eastwood�s that claimed to have witnessed the actor abuse his former wife, Maggie.  

The associate that made those statements in a taped interview, later recanted and the publisher and author have agreed to remove the material from future pressing of the book.  .