Actress Sienna Miller launched an emotional attack on "titillating" press reports of her relationship with Bond actor Daniel Craig, as she revealed to the hacking trial that it was "a very brief encounter".
The judge Mr Justice Saunders apologised to the Layer Cake star for any distress caused by the renewed media interest thrown up during the trial of seven defendants including former News of the World editor Andy Coulson.
Miller, giving evidence via video link from the United States, was asked about a message she left for Craig which was allegedly intercepted by the NotW saying: "Hi. It's me. Can't speak. I'm at the Groucho with Jude (Law). I love you."
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Sitting in a book-lined room next to an FBI agent, she told the Old Bailey: "Yes, I had always ended my phone calls to Daniel 'I love you', it was a declaration of friendship."
She went on: "This is a very difficult and uncomfortable period of my life to discuss.
"To be gossiped about and analysed and vilified. Whether or not I was in a relationship with Daniel Craig at the time, it was a very brief encounter. He was my best friend. My saying I love you was nothing new.
"It has been turned into a titillating piece of information, I really regret it was turned into something to be analysed. It was at a time when we had been briefly involved."
Thanking her for giving evidence, judge Mr Justice Saunders told her: "I am very sorry what has gone on in this court and reported in the press has caused you distress. We have tried to limit what has been said in court."
The NotW ran a story about her alleged affair with Bond star Craig in 2005 while she was in a relationship with his friend, fellow actor Jude Law, the court has heard.
One of the newspaper's reporters Daniel Evans claims part of the story was sourced from hacking Craig's phone.
Speaking in a clear, confident voice, Miller, wearing black and with her blonde hair dyed brown, confirmed she would have left the message but that it was not an "important declaration of love".
"The thing that's been slightly misconstrued about this voicemail message is the fact that I said I love you and that this was some incredibly important declaration of love. I've always ended my phone calls to Daniel saying 'I love you'."
There was laughter in the court when Miller was questioned by defence lawyer Timothy Langdale QC about her message to Craig which ended "I love you".
She joked: "You just told me you love me and I interrupted you."
Miller also confirmed she left messages on the phone of the designer Kelly Hoppen, her former stepmother.
The court heard that Evans claimed to hear Miller crying in a message to Ms Hoppen that he had hacked into.
Miller said: "It's a difficult time to remember. It was very emotionally raw. It is not possible for me to say whether or not with any certainty. I think I was crying a lot at the time.
"But I do not think I would have been crying in a message to Kelly Hoppen, no."
There was also laughter as the actress struggled to remember the date of her sister Savannah's wedding.
She joked: "This is a terrible test."
There were more laughs in the courtroom, when she was stopped by the judge from going into too much detail about her personal appearance.
When she was asked about the origin of information in the press, Miller said: "I do not remember losing half a stone in weight; I do not remember complaining I was flat-chested; I always bite my nails."
Miller said she was not aware that anyone associated with her or her then boyfriend Law was communicating with the NotW in 2005.
When asked about her relationship with the media by Mr Langdale, for former Government spin doctor Coulson, she said: "It was part of my job to communicate with the media and, yes, I had some negative experiences."
The Stardust star said she had pleaded with a News of the World journalist to ease off her then-boyfriend Law when they met at a pre-Baftas party, asking him to "give Jude a break".
She said: "I spoke to him as a human being, making clear that this was an off-the-record conversation.
"This was a conversation between two human beings, not an actress and a journalist. I appealed to his better nature and this was then abused.
"I probably said 'He's one of the nicest, kindest people I know and you are misrepresenting him, please stop it'."
When asked if she had ever courted publicity, she said: "Absolutely never, not once. Never ever.
"Hand on my heart, I've taken an oath."
Coulson, 46, a PR consultant of Charing, Kent, denies conspiring to hack phones and conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office.
All seven defendants, including former Sun and NotW editor Rebekah Brooks, deny all the charges against them.