Dan Brown can move on with his life

A British judge has rejected a claim by two writers that The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown stole his premise from their book.

The lawsuit, brought by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh against Brown's publisher, Random House, charged that Brown "appropriated the architecture" of their 1982 book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.

Brown's novel centers on the idea that Jesus married and had children with Mary Magdalene. Baigent and Leigh's nonfiction book explores the same theory, which has been dismissed by most historians and theologians. Brown denied using their book as a source.

Following the verdict, Brown released a statement that said the decision showed the suit was "utterly without merit."

"I'm still astonished that these two authors chose to file their suit at all," Brown said. The film starring Tom Hanks will hit theaters in May.

CNN