British actor Hugh Grant has settled a lawsuit towards the writer of Rupert Murdoch’s tabloid newspaper, The Sun, over claims journalists used non-public investigators to faucet his telephone and burgle his home, he mentioned on Wednesday.
Grant, alongside King Charles’ son Prince Harry, was suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) for alleged widespread illegal data gathering, together with landline tapping, housebreaking and “blagging” confidential details about him.
Famous for movies similar to “Love Actually”, “Paddington 2” and “Notting Hill”, Grant has turn out to be a distinguished campaigner on press reform for the reason that phone-hacking scandal emerged greater than a decade in the past, and had joined forces with Harry lately.
His case was certainly one of a number of lawsuits which have been eligible to go to trial at London’s High Court in January, however the actor has agreed to settle with NGN, he mentioned on X, shortly after the settlement was revealed in courtroom paperwork for a procedural listening to on Wednesday.
Grant beforehand introduced a lawsuit towards NGN in relation to the now-defunct News of the World tabloid which was settled in 2012, a 12 months after the newspaper was shut down by media magnate Murdoch following a public backlash over hacking.
NGN has all the time rejected allegations of any wrongdoing by workers at The Sun, having settled greater than 1,300 circumstances – plus one other 300 or so by way of its personal compensation scheme – with out making any admission of legal responsibility in relation to that paper.
However, the settlement of Grant’s lawsuit, which centered solely on alleged wrongdoing at The Sun, raises questions in regards to the sustainability of that long-held place. NGN declined to remark.
The settlement may additionally cut back the possibilities of NGN dealing with a trial over claims of illegal data gathering for the primary time – although Harry’s lawsuit continues and the prince has spoken repeatedly of his “mission” to purge the British press.
Harry and different claimants final month sought to pull Murdoch into the case, alleging he was personally concerned in a cover-up of wrongdoing, with a ruling on their utility nonetheless pending.
NGN says the claimants are utilizing the lawsuits as a way to assault the tabloid press and that allegations towards present and former workers are “a scurrilous and cynical attack on their integrity”.
On Wednesday, NGN’s lawyer Anthony Hudson requested the courtroom to direct that the total trial at the moment listed to start in January ought to as an alternative be held to determine whether or not the claimants ought to have introduced their lawsuits towards the writer earlier.
© Thomson Reuters 2024.