(Refiles to correct spelling of Tapie in headline)
* Board stands by CEO Giscard d'Estaing
* H1 net loss widens to 22 million eur
* Shares fall 3.8 percent
(Rewrites with legal action, adds detail)
PARIS, June 11 (Reuters) - Club Med said it had taken legal action against colourful entrepreneur Bernard Tapie over what it called his damaging remarks about the underperforming French holiday resort and leisure group.
"This criticism denigrates the company, tarnishes its image and is harmful to its business," Club Mediterranee said in a statement on Thursday as it reported widening losses and a near 20 percent drop in summer bookings.
"Mr. Tapie publicly criticised the way Club Mediterranee is run as a business, its strategy and what the company is today, all at a time when the company was carrying out a capital increase."
Tapie, prominent in French public life for three decades, said last month he was interested in buying a stake in Club Med despite the group raising capital and criticised management as well as the performance of the stock in recent years.
Tapie could not be reached immediately for comment.
Club Med had already asked France's AMF stock market regulator on May 10 to open an enquiry following what it called "contradictory statements by Tapie in the media since April 25".
The Club Med board said on Thursday it stood by Chief Executive Henri Giscard d'Estaing and his strategy of shifting the group upmarket.
"The board feels that the personal attacks against Mr. Giscard d'Estaing are slanderous and completely unfounded," Club Med added.
Tapie is a former minister, former president of soccer club Olympique Marseille and currently a television soccer commentator and actor on stage and screen.
He has been involved in multiple financial scandals. He resigned from government in 1993 after he was placed under formal investigation by a judge for complicity in corruption. He was found guilty and sentenced to several months in prison.
Club Med reported earlier on Thursday that its net loss widened to 22 million euros ($30.87 million) in the fiscal first half to April 30 from 9 million a year earlier due to restructuring costs and the global crisis.
Summer bookings were down 18.3 percent, it added, based on like-for-like revenue.
"First-half net income was affected by the impact of the crisis on business volumes and by non-recurring items, notably costs related to restructuring programmes and to the closing of year-round villages for renovation," Club Med said.
"Summer 2009 bookings to date reflect the distinct wait-and-see attitude observed throughout the tourist industry."
Shares in the group were 3.8 percent lower at 9.20 euros by 1001 GMT. They are down over 10 percent so far this year after losing 72 percent in 2008. ($1=.7126 Euro) (Additional reporting by Caroline Jacobs; Editing by David Cowell) (Reporting by James Regan and Noelle Mennella)