A lawyer for Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine wants a retraction from Mark Ames, the publisher of the Moscow-based alt-zine Exile.

Ames published an "In Brief" item that began: "The former lover of tennis star Maria Sharapova, Maroon 5's frontman Adam Levine, revealed yesterday why he broke off their brief romance," and continued to explain that the returning U.S. Open star disoriented him by making no noise during sex.

The offending item, which Mr. Ames has since told The Transom that the piece had been written in five minutes from a hotel room in California, and was intended as “throwaway satire” to fill space.

“Americans are the most gullible fucking morons on Planet Earth,” he said.

Apparently not just Americans.

Here's what Mr. Levine's lawyer, Jeffrey Worob of Serling Rooks & Ferrara, said in an email to Mr. Ames:

Since the time of your posting, several other news outlets around the world have picked up your "story" and reported it as true in their publications. As such, Mr. Levine has been forced to address the statements and defend his character.

The legal letter--and a draft of the response Mr. Ames plans to publish in his newspaper, are after the jump.  read more »