GRAYS-born comic Russell Brand has won a large payout from The Sun over claims he cheated on his girlfriend Jemima Khan.

The newspaper printed in its Sunday edition on November 17, 2013, that Brand, 38, had been having sex with model Sophie Coady during a four-month fling.

Yesterday, solicitor John Kelly - representing Brand at London’s High Court - told Mr Justice Tugendhat that the story, which was headlined “Russell Cheated On Jemima With Me”, had been without foundation and "distressing, hurtful and damaging".

He said his client had reached an agreement with the paper’s owners, News Group Newspapers, and that the dispute was over.

The paper, which accepted the story was “totally untrue and defamatory” and “that it should never have been published” has apologised to Brand and agreed to pay him “substantial” but undisclosed damages and legal fees.

Brand has said he will put the money towards “diverse, just and decent causes” - including the Hillsborough disaster campaign.

The Hollywood star recently tweeted: “I got some money suing The S*n who lied about me. I am making a donation to the #JFT96 campaign. A tiny piece of justice.”

Brand, who was not at court for the settlement, has been with 40-year-old writer and campaigner Ms Khan since last summer.

In his Guardian column written a week after the allegations were printed in The Sun, Brand said: “The Sun on Sunday, which is of course the News of the World with a different hat on, lied about me last week.”

He added that The Sun had inflicted “pain, disruption and distress” on him and his girlfriend with the false claims.