Goody family supports OK! tribute

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/entertainment/7950616.stm

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The family of terminally ill reality TV star Jade Goody have expressed their support for a tribute issue of OK! magazine which went on sale this week.

The front cover, which states "in loving memory", has been called "very kind" by Goody's loved ones.

Journalists and some members of the public have criticised the magazine for pre-empting Goody's death.

But OK! magazine said the edition, which features her "final words", was "a celebration of Jade's amazing life".

No complaints had been received directly from the public, the publication added.

'Extremely grateful'

In a statement, OK! said Goody's family were "extremely grateful" for the support they had received from the magazine "during this distressing period".

A spokeswoman for Jade Goody's publicist Max Clifford confirmed her family supported the tribute issue.

Some national newspapers have come out against the magazine's publication while Goody is still alive.

Damian Thompson, in a blog on the Daily Telegraph's website, said he saw the front cover, with its black border and the dates 1981-2009, and "thought the poor girl was dead".

He added that OK! had "very tastefully jumped the gun" and argued it was a ploy to boost circulation figures.

Members of the public have been discussing the publication online, with many saying they think it is in bad taste.

Others presumed the magazine, which features pictures from Goody's seven years in the limelight, was published accidentally.

The magazine's website gives a taster to the special edition, stating it contains "world exclusive words from Jade Goody and unseen pictures as the brave star clings to life".