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Johannesburg - Paralympian Oscar Pistorius did not take acting lessons in preparation for his trial, as alleged by the former South African columnist, Jani Allan, his family said on Monday.
"We deny in the strongest terms the contents of her letter in as far it relates to our client and further deny that our client has undergone any 'acting lessons' or any form of emotional coaching," said family spokesperson Anneliese Burgess.
She was reacting to a blog entry by Allan, in which the writer alleged Pistorius took "acting lessons" in preparation for his trial.
"This type of comment makes a mockery of the enormous human tragedy involving the Steenkamp family and our client and his family."
Burgess said Allan had never met Pistorius and any knowledge she professed to have of him could only be described as "fictitious".
"Her suggestion that Mr Pistorius 'took acting lessons' is totally devoid of any truth."
Pistorius is accused of the murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria townhouse on 14 February last year.
He shot her through the locked door of his toilet, apparently thinking she was an intruder.
The athlete is also charged with contraventions of the Firearms Control Act.
He allegedly fired a shot from a Glock pistol under a table at a Johannesburg restaurant in January 2013. On 30 September 2012, he allegedly shot through the open sunroof of a car with his 9mm pistol while driving with friends in Modderfontein.
The trial will resume on 5 May.
