David and Victoria Beckham have launched a lawsuit against their ex-nanny who told a British tabloid that the couple's marriage is on the rocks. The Real Madrid midfielder and his singing wife announced on Tuesday that they are suing 27-year-old Abbie Gibson for breached the confidentiality agreement she signed when started working for them.

The Beckhams failed to win an injunction to stop the publication of an interview with Gibson in News of the World, as the judge said the story was in the public interest allowed it for publishing.

Gibson, who worked for the famous family from August 2003 until she quit earlier this months, has been reportedly paid more than $750,000 for her "truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth".

According to the former nanny, the glamorous couple had come close to "breaking point" and the soccer star had an affair with his wife's former beautician, 23-year-old Danielle Heath.

Max Clifford, who represents Gibson, said: "If David Beckham had been intelligent enough to treat her with a little bit of respect, none of this would have happened. You reap what you sow."

The Beckhams are also planning to take action against the newspaper.

"They will also be applying to the courts to amend their outstanding action commenced last year against the News of the World to include all of these issues by way of seeking aggravated damages," said their spokesman, as reports AP.