By Sheila Mckenzie-
Actor Hugh Grant will appear in court tomorrow at Prince Harry’s alleged phone-hacking case against the publisher of The Sun, lawyers for the Duke of Sussex have said.
Grant’s appearance in court could have significant implications for the ongoing debate around press ethics and the behaviour of the British tabloid press. It will also shine a spotlight on the issue of media intrusion into the private lives of public figures, and the potential for this intrusion to have a damaging impact on individuals and their families.
An outspoken critic of the British tabloid press, the actor has spoken publicly about the negative impact that media intrusion has had on his life. He has criticized the press for their tactics, which he considers to be intrusive and unethical, and he has been vocal in his support for increased regulation of the media.
Grant’s grievances with the press date back to the late 1990s, when he was embroiled in a scandal involving a sex worker named Divine Brown. The scandal was widely reported in the press, and it had a significant impact on Grant’s public image.
Since then, Grant has become an advocate for press ethics and media reform. He has called for greater transparency and accountability in the media, and he has spoken out against what he sees as a culture of impunity among some members of the British tabloid press.
Grant’s appearance in court could potentially lead to further revelations about the extent of phone hacking by the press, and it could contribute to a wider discussion about the need for greater regulation and accountability in the media. It could also have a personal impact on Grant, who has spoken about the emotional toll that media intrusion has had on him and his family.
In addition to his advocacy work, Grant is a well-known actor with a long and distinguished career. He has received critical acclaim for his performances in films such as “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Sense and Sensibility”, and he has been nominated for numerous awards, including Golden Globes and BAFTAs.
Grant’s appearance in court is likely to be closely watched by both the public and the media, and it could have significant implications for the ongoing debate around press ethics and media reform in the UK.
n day one of the case, the duke said he felt like the tabloid press was a “third party” in all of his relationships. In court documents revealed at the High Court in London on Tuesday, Harry said he always tried to be “the best partner” he could be, but “every woman has her limit”.
He said that the tabloid press always became involved in his relationships, and tried to ruin them. “Whenever I have been in a relationship, I have always tried to be the best partner that I possibly could, but every woman has her limit,” he said in a witness statement.
“Unfortunately, they are not just in a relationship with me but with the entire tabloid press as a third party.
Meanwhile, the court also heard that the Prince of Wales allegedly reached a settlement, that the late queen was aware of, with publisher News Group Newspapers over claims of hacking.
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Prince Harry says tabloid press was always ‘third party’ in his relationships
Tuesday 25 April 2023 15:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Duke of Sussex has said he felt like the tabloid press was a “third party” in all of his relationships.
In court documents revealed on Tuesday, Harry said he always tried to be “the best partner” he could be, but “every woman has her limit”.
He said that the tabloid press always became involved in his relationships, and tried to ruin them.
“Whenever I have been in a relationship, I have always tried to be the best partner that I possibly could, but every woman has her limit,” he said in a witness statement.
“Unfortunately, they are not just in a relationship with me but with the entire tabloid press as a third party.
“At no point did I have a girlfriend or a relationship with anyone without the tabloids getting involved and ultimately ruining it, or trying to ruin it, using whatever unlawful means at their disposal.”
Prince Harry said that the tabloid press felt like it “owned” him, despite him only being 5% funded by the taxpayer while he was a working royal.
“Despite the common misconception, I was no more than 5% funded by the taxpayer while I was a working royal in the UK, yet it felt as though the tabloid press thought that they owned me absolutely, and deserved to know everything there is to know about me, my life, my movements and the lives of those people who came into my orbit,” he said.
Harry claimed that the tabloid press cast him as a “thicko” and a “cheat”, and that he ended up “playing up” to the headlines they wrote about him.
“As a teenager and in my early twenties, I ended up feeling as though I was playing up to a lot of the headlines and stereotypes that they wanted to place upon me,” he said.
“It was a downward spiral, whereby the tabloids would constantly try and coax me, a ‘damaged’ young man, into doing something stupid that would make a good story and sell lots of newspapers. Looking back on it now, such behaviour on their part is utterly vile.”
He said that the tabloids hoped for him to undergo a “total and very public breakdown”.
“Despite them all knowing about what I was dealing with throughout the years, they kept on doubling down their efforts rather than letting up,” he said.
“That is grotesque and sadistic – and no doubt they were hoping for a total and very public breakdown.”
The duke heard that the royal household dealt with fears that his voicemail messages had been intercepted while he was serving in Afghanistan, failing to update him with all the information and allegations, David Sherborne, representing Harry, told the court.
Mr Sherborne was countering the claim of Anthony Hudson KC, for News Group Newspapers (NGN) that Harry was “at the epicentre” of hacking claims. Harry said in a statement that Prince William “appeared to know an awful lot more” than his younger brother about the claims.
Lawyers for News Group Newspapers claim there is no hard evidence against The Sun but only “general pleas” of voicemail interception and phone tapping.
The Duke of Sussex was said to have been “kept out of the loop” regarding alleged unlawful information gathering by tabloid newspapers in relation to the royal household, the High Court has heard.
David Sherborne, representing Harry, told the court on Wednesday that, before 2012, the duke believed there was only one voicemail which his brother left for him that had been intercepted.
The barrister said Harry thought the tabloid press “wouldn’t have been stupid enough to go after his messages, given the security services’ involvement”, and that there were members of royal staff who he was aware believed they had been hacked but he was “kept out of the loop”.
“He was told more in 2012 but that was essentially dealt with by his family, the institution as he described it.
“That is no criticism of the [late] Queen or his family, that is how it was done and he accepted it.
“One also has to remember at the times he was on active service in Afghanistan.”
Lawyers for the publisher claim there is no hard evidence against the paper but only “general pleas” of voicemail interception and phone tapping by Sun journalists.
Earlier, lawyers for the duke said actor Hugh Grant will tomorrow give evidence in the case.