A number of celebrities are suing UK paper Daily Mail, alleging the use of invasive methods to access personal and confidential information in a breach of privacy.
Among the celebrities suing the Daily Mail are Prince Harry, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, and Elton John’s husband, filmmaker David Furnish. They allege the paper engaged in phone-tapping among other forms of privacy breaches, according to Reuters. Representatives from the London-based law firm Hamlins released a statement saying the individuals have become aware of “highly distressing” evidence suggesting they are victims of privacy breaches by Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, and the Mail Online.
Britain’s Prince Harry and singer Elton John are among six public figures suing the publisher of the Daily Mail over alleged unlawful information-gathering at its titles.https://t.co/rGePuu7JFt
— editorji (@editorji) October 7, 2022
Hamlins alleges the breaches included the placement of listening devices in cars and homes, bugging live telephone calls, and paying police officials to obtain personal information. In some instances, celebrities were impersonated for the purpose of obtaining medical records, Hamlin alleges, according to Reuters.
“They have now therefore banded together to uncover the truth, and to hold the journalists responsible fully accountable, many of whom still hold senior positions of authority and power today,” Hamlins said.
Hamlins is representing Prince Harry and Frost, while Lawrence, Hurley, John and Furnish have secured a firm called Gunnercooke. (RELATED: Politico Suggests Angelina Jolie Might Be ‘Jane Doe’ In FBI Lawsuit Involving Domestic Violence)
Prince Harry, Elton John, and Elizabeth Hurley are taking a UK media company to court over privacy breaches.https://t.co/0tPkYsC8D2
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) October 6, 2022
“We utterly and unambiguously refute these preposterous smears which appear to be nothing more than a pre-planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone hacking scandal concerning articles up to 30 years old,”a representative of the publisher said, according to Reuters.
“These unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims – based on no credible evidence – appear to be simply a fishing expedition by claimants and their lawyers, some of whom have already pursued cases elsewhere,” they said.