Celebrities and Former MPs Allege Phone Hacking Scandal -

Associated Newspapers firmly denies the allegations.

A private investigator allegedly hired by the Mail on Sunday is accused of bugging actress Liz Hurley’s home and ex-boyfriend Hugh Grant’s car to unlawfully gather sensitive information. According to claims presented in the High Court, the investigator obtained details about Hurley’s finances, travel plans, and medical records during her pregnancy. This revelation comes as part of a broader case involving high-profile figures accusing Associated Newspapers Limited of engaging in illegal surveillance practices. The allegations, if proven true, could have serious implications for journalistic ethics and press freedom. Associated Newspapers has firmly denied any wrongdoing.

Details of Liz Hurley’s breach of privacy claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) emerged on Monday through the release of legal documents. These documents outline allegations made by several high-profile individuals suing the publisher. Hurley alleges that ANL unlawfully obtained personal information about her, including financial details, travel plans, and medical records, by hiring a private investigator to conduct illegal surveillance. Her claims form part of a broader legal action involving multiple public figures accusing the publisher of phone hacking, bugging devices, and other breaches of privacy. ANL has strongly denied all the allegations.

During a preliminary hearing on Monday, detailed allegations of privacy breaches by Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) were revealed, involving prominent figures like actresses Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost, as well as ex-MP Sir Simon Hughes.

Sadie Frost claims her privacy was repeatedly violated through phone hacking and the tapping of her ex-husband Jude Law’s landline during discussions about their divorce settlement. Similarly, Sir Simon Hughes alleges that ANL collaborated with a private investigator who unlawfully obtained the identity and address of a man thought to be in a relationship with him.

Liz Hurley’s legal representative, David Sherborne, stated that she was left “shocked and mortified” after learning of the alleged surveillance targeting her. Sherborne claims that a private investigator, acting for the Mail on Sunday, hacked phones, tapped landlines, and even placed a mini-microphone on her home window and bugged Hugh Grant’s car to access private conversations, financial details, travel plans, and medical information during her pregnancy.

ANL has firmly denied the allegations, arguing that the claims are being brought too late. Despite the publisher’s denial, the accusations have stirred significant attention due to the serious nature of the alleged invasions of privacy.

Liz Hurley was deeply distressed upon learning about the alleged unlawful surveillance, her barrister told the court. “The prospect of strangers listening to her live telephone calls and bugging her private property was a particularly grotesque thought that she had never considered possible,” he said.

Hurley was especially appalled by the alleged targeting during her pregnancy and after the birth of her son. “It left her sickened to see the snatched close-up picture of her baby’s face published by Associated when he was four months old, with the new understanding that this intrusion was the exploitation of unlawful acts, deliberately directed at her with that intention.”

Her barrister emphasized that the situation caused severe emotional distress, as Hurley came to realize that deeply personal moments of her life were intruded upon in an effort to exploit her private affairs.

Liz Hurley expressed feeling vulnerable and powerless during a particularly sensitive period of her life, her barrister explained. Despite taking precautions, she felt unable to protect her son and those close to her who were also allegedly targeted due to their connection with her. “It angers her now to know that she never had a chance against all the artillery of unlawful means and private investigators that Associated used against her,” her barrister said, adding that Hurley now understands the real fear of being “trapped and surrounded on all sides by unknown enemies.”

Similarly, Sadie Frost claims that her private communications, financial details, and travel plans were unlawfully obtained on behalf of the Mail on Sunday, according to her barrister, David Sherborne. Frost finds it “deeply upsetting” that her telephone, which she relied on during painful moments such as her divorce, struggles with mental health, and the death of her father, was exploited to create stories.

Sherborne added, “To have it confirmed, and that this took place in relation to her circle of friends and family too, has made her feel extremely violated and angry.” Frost was especially concerned about protecting her family during already challenging times. The alleged actions by Associated Newspapers “left her feeling vulnerable” and worsened her emotional struggles, with the publisher “shamelessly exploiting that pain by revealing it to readers in immense detail for its own profit.”

David Sherborne, representing Sadie Frost and Sir Simon Hughes, revealed that Ms. Frost had been misled for years into believing that someone close to her was responsible for leaking her private information. This false belief added to the distress she experienced due to the alleged unlawful surveillance and intrusion into her private life.

Regarding Sir Simon Hughes, Sherborne noted that the former Liberal Democrat MP was “deeply upset and shocked” to learn that he had been deliberately targeted by Associated Newspapers. The barrister outlined that a private investigator had hacked Sir Simon’s voicemail and illegally accessed his bank and phone records, with the information subsequently passed to the Mail on Sunday.

Although no story was ultimately published about Sir Simon, Sherborne confirmed that the Mail on Sunday made a payment in relation to the alleged unlawful activity concerning “Simon Hughes’ boyfriend.”

Sherborne emphasized that while Sir Simon understood that being a politician meant accepting press attention for his professional activities, he firmly believes that this should not justify journalists or others acting on their behalf to intercept private communications or engage in illegal information gathering for stories. “Associated’s unlawful acts were therefore both grossly intrusive and morally unacceptable,” Sherborne concluded, condemning the publisher’s actions.