Britain’s Prince Harry, singer Elton John, and others have filed a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper, accusing it of wiretapping and other privacy violations, a law firm representing some of the groups said.
Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail Online, one of the world’s most widely read news sites, said it « completely and unequivocally » denies the allegations.
Others involved in the litigation are actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, Elton John’s husband and filmmaker David Furnish, and Doreen Lawrence, the mother of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racist attack in 1993.
The Hamlins law firm stated these violations included placing listening devices in people’s cars and homes, tapping live private phone calls, paying police officials to obtain sensitive information, and impersonating people to obtain medical records.
« We totally and unequivocally refute these preposterous smears which appear to be nothing more than a planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail’s headlines into the phone hacking scandal involving 30-year-old articles, » claimed a spokesperson for the publisher.
Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has already filed a number of lawsuits against Associated Newspapers publications. He is currently suing the Mail on Sunday for defamation over an article claiming that he tried to keep the details of his legal fight to have his police protection reinstated secret.
Last year, he won damages against the same newspaper for claiming he had turned his back on the Royal Marines. His wife Meghan also won a lawsuit against the publisher last December for printing a letter she wrote to her father.
In addition, media intrusion was a major factor they cited in their decision to retire from royal duties and move to the United States two years ago.
Others involved in the action have also filed lawsuits against major media organizations. Sadie Frost received $290,595 in compensation in 2015 after she and seven other celebrities sued Mirror Group Newspapers for hacking into messages on their phones
