Text of statement from Van Morrison to RTE Radio One in Ireland.

I have asked my Management Team to carry out an immediate investigation into a hacking attack, which took place on my website on December 29th last. This is the second occasion on which the website has been hacked into during the last three months.

In this most recent incident, claims were made relating to my personal life in a 'statement' purporting to come from me. Once these claims were brought to our attention, they were taken down from the site but not before news organisations repeated these falsehoods. The comments which appeared on my website did not come from me. They are completely and utterly without foundation.

For the avoidance of all doubt and in the interests of clarity, I am very happily married to Michelle Morrison with whom I have two wonderful children

Van Morrison