Elizabeth Hurley has delivered powerful testimony in London's High Court, describing what she called "monstrous" and "staggering" privacy invasions by the publisher of the Daily Mail. The model and actor made the allegations on Thursday as part of a celebrity-studded lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Ltd.
Detailed Allegations of Intrusion
Hurley accused the newspaper group of multiple serious privacy violations spanning nearly a decade. She claimed the publisher engaged in systematic surveillance that fundamentally violated her personal life and security.
Specific Claims Made in Court
The actress detailed several specific allegations during her emotional testimony:
- Landline phone tapping and recording of live telephone conversations
- Placement of surreptitious microphones on her home windows
- Theft of her medical information during her pregnancy in 2002
- Publication of 15 articles between 2002 and 2011 that allegedly relied on unlawfully gathered information
"The best way I can describe it is like there is someone peeping into your life and into your home," Hurley told the court. She added that the experience "makes me feel as if my private life had been violated by violent intruders — that there had been sinister thieves in my home all along and that I had been living with them completely unaware."
Royal Support and Wider Legal Battle
Hurley's testimony came just one day after Prince Harry became emotional while speaking about the toll his media battles have taken on his family. The Duke of Sussex attended court on Thursday to show support during much of Hurley's testimony, highlighting the solidarity among the claimants.
Hurley, Prince Harry, and Sir Elton John are among seven high-profile claimants alleging that Associated Newspapers hired private investigators to unlawfully snoop on them over two decades. The publisher has strongly denied all allegations, calling them "preposterous" and maintaining that articles were reported using legitimate sources.
Historical Context and Previous Cases
Like Prince Harry, Hurley has previously brought similar phone hacking lawsuits against the publishers of the Daily Mirror and The Sun. She testified that she was unaware of similar allegations against the Mail until 2020, when she was informed about statements from former private investigator Gavin Burrows.
Burrows had purportedly claimed he stole Hurley's information at the newspaper's behest, though he has since disavowed that sworn statement and denied ever working for the Mail.
Personal Impact and Family Concerns
Several of the articles in question focused on the 2002 birth of Hurley's son, Damian, and the paternity dispute with his father, the late film producer Steve Bing. Hurley expressed particular distress about her son, now a model and actor himself who sat in the courtroom during her testimony, potentially reading these articles.
"I felt really mortified that my son would be able to read all this stuff one day, and I feel really bad that that day is today when all this stuff is being regurgitated," she said, becoming visibly upset when shown some of the articles in court.
She added: "Yet again, everyone's privacy is being invaded in this terrible way, and I feel very helpless about that."
Legal Proceedings and Defence Position
The nine-week trial continues in London's High Court, with Associated Newspapers expected to call employees from the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday to testify in the company's defence. The publisher maintains that all reporting was conducted through legitimate journalistic practices and proper sources.
This case represents another significant chapter in the ongoing legal battles between British media organisations and public figures over privacy violations and alleged unlawful information gathering practices.
