Clockwise from top left: Former Spice Girl Mel C; actor Matthew Horne; Boyzone singer Shane Lynch; Rafferty Law, the son of Jude Law and Sadie Frost; comedian Catherine Tate; and radio DJ Chris Moyles. Images, clockwise from top left: Henry Harris, Featureflash Photo Agency; Steve Vas, photo agency Featureflash; Mick Atkins, Shutterstock; Fred Duval, Shutterstock; Brandon Nagy, Shutterstock; Mr. Pictures, Shutterstock.
A group of celebrities have received “significant damages” and public apologies from News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of The Sun and previously the News of the World, over unlawful information gathering practices.
The plaintiffs include Spice Girl Melanie C, comedians Catherine Tate and Keith Allen and radio presenter Chris Moyles.
NGN's apology was delivered to Mr Justice Fancourt in the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning.
What did the plaintiffs do according to News Group Newspapers?
The plaintiffs all claimed that NGN invaded their privacy. Christopher Hutchings, media litigation partner at law firm Hamlins, which represented the group, said: “The impact of publishing intrusive, private information can be long-lasting… We are pleased that NGN has been held to account for its unlawful actions.”
The court was told that each plaintiff had received significant damages from the publisher.
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Mel C, full name Melanie Chisholm, said in her claim that between 1996 and 2009 NGN published a “significant number” of articles containing details about her professional and romantic relationships, her mental health, her pregnancy and her sexuality.
Allen also said the release of private information that he believed was obtained through listening to voicemails caused him “significant distress.”
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Allen said: “I am so grateful to have received a public apology from NGN. As it is the season of goodwill, I would like to take this opportunity to wish NGN a Merry Christmas.”
Chisholm said: “Seeing these publications being held accountable helps offset the damage not only to myself, but to the friends, family and colleagues around me who were also affected.”
Davinia Douglass, a survivor of the July 7, 2004 terrorist attacks in London who otherwise had no public profile, alleged that NGN published several articles containing information obtained through deception and boasting.
She said on Tuesday: “It was a very emotional and difficult process that brought back many memories of a very dark and challenging time in my life.”
“I am relieved that my claim has finally been settled by NGN.”
The group also includes Rafferty Law, a son of actors Jude Law and Sadie Frost, who was a child during the events relevant to the claim.
The full list of the lawsuit released by Hamlins is as follows:
- Keith Allen
- Melanie C
- Catherine Tate
- Twig Clark (who was previously in a relationship with Tate)
- Davinia Douglass
- DJ and presenter Jason King
- Actor Matthew Horne
- Former Boyzone member Shane Lynch
- Radio presenter Chris Moyles
- Former actress Catalina Guirado
- Rafferty law
NGN has faced numerous lawsuits over the past decade over allegations that the company illegally obtained information through tactics such as phone hacking, bragging and deception. Most of the cases have been resolved, and the company has insisted that unlawful news gathering practices were limited to the News of the World newspaper, which abruptly closed in 2011 after it was revealed that a private investigator it had paid, Glenn Mulcaire, had used the phone The murdered man was hacked by schoolgirl Milly Dowler, who was missing at the time.
Press Gazette reported in 2021 that the hacking scandal had cost Rupert Murdoch's News Corp more than £1 billion over ten years.
[Read more: News of the World closure ten years on – How hacking scandal cost Murdoch’s UK tabloid business £1bn]
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