Chef Ramsay settles case with New Zealand charity

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay paid NZ$100,000 ($81,000) to settle a lawsuit for failing to appear at fundraisers for a chronically ill New Zealand girl, the event's organisers said Tuesday. The foul-mouthed Scottish-born cook was facing a NZ$2.1 million ($1.7 million) lawsuit from Auckland's Duco Events for his no-show at functions to raise money for Matisse Reid, an 11-year old with a rare intestinal disorder. Ramsay's initial appearance, in June 2010, was called off because his mother had suffered a heart attack, with a rescheduled appearance later that year also canned so he could deal with business difficulties in Britain. The company Duco launched legal action against against Ramsay but said Tuesday they had settled the case amicably. "The parties have reached a mutually-agreeable financial settlement, including a donation of NZ$100,000 to Matisse Reid and the trust Chance2Eat (the girl's charity)," it said. It also said Duco and Ramsay had agreed to work together in 2013 on unspecified projects. The NZ$100,000 payment is reportedly the same as Ramsay's appearance fee for the charity events. The girl at the centre of the dispute, Matisse Reid, has reportedly received an intestinal transplant in the United States and is recovering well.