Prince Harry, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and several other public figures are suing Associated Newspapers Ltd., the publisher of the Daily Mail, over “gross breaches of privacy”.
Harry and several others will be represented by British law firm Hamlins, who have claimed in a statement that their clients were victims of “abhorrent criminal activity” at the hands of Associated Newspapers Ltd.
They have alleged that ANL hired private investigators to secretly place listening devices inside their clients cars and homes, along with commissioning individuals to “surreptitiously listen into and record people’s live, private telephone calls whilst they were taking place”.
To add, they claim ANL impersonated individuals to “obtain medical information from private hospitals, clinics, and treatment centres by deception”.
The firm added in a statement: “It is apparent to these individuals that the alleged crimes listed above represent the tip of the iceberg – and that many other innocent people remain unknowing victims of similar terrible and reprehensible covert acts.
“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.”
A spokesperson for Associated Newspapers Ltd. said these claims were “preposterous smears”.
In a statement, they shared: “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.
“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.”
Among others suing the publisher are Baroness Doreen Lawrence, whose son Stephen was murdered in a racist attack back in 1993. British actor Sadie Frost and Elton John’s husband David Furnish are also taking action.
Prince Harry has sued the publisher previously over a separate article about the his legal battle with the Home Office in the UK. Meanwhile Meghan Markle also won part of her own case against ANL last year when she sued them for publishing a story containing a private letter she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle.
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