Nigella Lawson Says She is More Into Kids Than Coke

Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has said that she will not sabotage her health and risk leaving her children. Lawson's personal life has been the centre of attention ever since her former husband, art tycoon Charles Saatchi, was pictured apparently throttling her in public.

Saatchi subsequently alleged that the she was a regular drug-user, even calling her "higella" in an e-mail leaked to the press.

Lawson admitted that she did use cocaine and marijuana occasionally but was not an addict. She stated while she is not proud of the fact that she has taken drugs, that does not make her an addict or a habitual drug user.

Lawson also claimed that she is more into her kids than cocaine and would never risk leaving her children orphans by getting hooked to drugs.

The cocaine allegations are central to the ongoing fraud case involving her aides who claim Lawson allowed them to spend lavishly in return for keeping silent about her alleged drug use.

Lawson also said that she wished to withdraw from the court case, explaining that Saatchi had been "savaging" her reputation and had used a PR blog to turn public opinion against her.

She claimed: "He [Saatchi] said to me that if I didn't go back to him and clear his name he would destroy me and also started spreading false allegations of drug use.

"In particular the awful incident in Scott's and I felt his way of getting this out was to use this case.

"I have been put on trial here, where I am bound to answer the allegations in the world's press and it comes after a long summer of bullying and abuse and I find it [the trial] just like another chapter in that."