Elizabeth Hurley Denounces ‘Monstrous’ Privacy Breach by Daily Mail in High-Profile British Media Hacking Case

LONDON – In a dramatic turn of events, Elizabeth Hurley has leveled serious accusations against the publisher of the Daily Mail, claiming her phones were tapped, microphones were placed outside her windows, and her medical records were stolen. These allegations were made during her testimony in a high-profile privacy invasion lawsuit involving several celebrities.

“It’s as if someone was constantly lurking in the shadows, peering into every corner of my life and home,” the actress and model expressed. She described the experience as feeling like her private life was invaded by “violent intruders,” akin to “sinister thieves” residing undetected in her own house.

Hurley stands as the second witness in this case, which sees Prince Harry, Elton John, and four others joining forces against Associated Newspapers Ltd. They argue that the company unlawfully employed private investigators to surveil them over a span of two decades.

Prince Harry was present to offer support during Hurley’s testimony, following an emotional appearance of his own, where he discussed the profound impact the media’s actions have had on him and his family.

Associated Newspapers has dismissed the allegations as absurd, asserting that their articles were based on legitimate sources. The publisher plans to present testimonies from Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday employees in their defense during the nine-week trial at London’s High Court.

Hurley, who has previously filed similar lawsuits against the publishers of the Daily Mirror and The Sun, claimed she was unaware of any misconduct by the Mail until 2020. It was then revealed that Gavin Burrows, a former private investigator, allegedly admitted to stealing her information at the newspapers’ request.

Burrows has since disavowed that sworn statement and said he never worked for the Mail.

Hurley claims 15 articles about her between 2002 and 2011 relied on unlawful information-gathering. Several were about the 2002 birth of her son, Damian, and the paternity fight with his father, the late film producer Steve Bing.

“The Mail’s unlawful acts against me involve landline tapping my phones and recording my live telephone conversations, placing surreptitious mics on my home windows, stealing my medical information when I was pregnant with Damian, and other monstrous, staggering things,” Hurley said.

She said she had hoped her son, now a model and actor himself who sat in the courtroom, would never see those 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 as she became upset when shown some of those articles in court. “Yet again, everyone’s privacy is being invaded in this terrible way, and I feel very helpless about that.”