Hugh Grant’s damages claim against tabloid is going to trial

Hugh Grant’s damages claim against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspaper’s tabloid magazine The Sun will be going to trial after the actor alleges that the tabloid magazine engaged in unlawful information gathering and snooping against him.

A judge has rejected The Sun’s attempt to throw out the case, but only the damages involving bugging Grant’s car and breaking into his home will be considered, as the phone hacking claims were made after a six-year statute of limitations.

Allegations of burglary, phone hacking and stalking

“I am pleased that my case will be allowed to go to trial, which is what I have always wanted – because it is necessary that the truth comes out about the activities of the Sun,” Grant said in a statement following the ruling.

“As my case makes clear, the allegations go far wider and deeper than voicemail interception.”

Grant isn’t the only one to have a lawsuit against News Group go to trial. Prince Harry’s own lawsuit is still ongoing and he recently traveled to London in March to appear in court as one of the many plaintiffs, including Elton John, who made similar claims of stalking and other unlawful informational gathering against The Daily Mail.

“It was only on seeing invoices disclosed … in 2021 that Mr. Grant believed that private investigators (PIs) had been instructed by The Sun to target him in various ways, particularly in 2011,” said Justice Timothy Fancourt in a statement via Associated Press.

“Although Mr. Grant was aware prior to March 2016 of general allegations about use of PIs to obtain information, there is in my judgment a realistic chance that Mr Grant may establish at trial that, although he was aware of general allegations and was suspicious, he could not reasonably have believed with sufficient confidence that he may have been targeted by PIs instructed by the Sun in some of the relevant ways,” Fancourt said in court.

Meanwhile, News Group is happy that the phone hacking claims will not be considered.

“News Group Newspapers is pleased that, following our application, the High Court has ruled that Mr. Grant is statute barred from bringing a phone hacking claim against The Sun,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“The remainder of his claim, which has been brought following a statement made by Mr. Gavin Burrows in 2021, has been allowed to proceed to trial. NGN strongly denies the various historical allegations of unlawful information gathering contained in what remains of Mr. Grant’s claim.”

Grant previously settled a phone hacking claim against NGN’s now-defunct News of the World back in 2012.