David Furnish has described the alleged phone hacks targeting him and his husband, Elton John, as "an abomination," in a high-profile legal case against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail. Furnish stated that he and John felt "violated" by the newspaper, which they accuse of using unlawfully gathered information to publish "narrow-minded" stories about their lives.
High Court Evidence Reveals Allegations of Unlawful Tactics
In written submissions to the high court, Furnish detailed how the Mail allegedly worked with private detectives to intercept phone calls and access personal details. He expressed shock upon learning from actor Elizabeth Hurley in February 2021 about the Mail's use of unlawful tactics, including landline tapping and recording live conversations at their Windsor home. Furnish emphasised that without Hurley's intervention, they might never have discovered the breaches of their privacy.
Claims and Denials in the Legal Battle
Furnish and John are among seven claimants, including Prince Harry, who accuse ANL of ordering unlawful information gathering to secure stories. The allegations span from 2000 to 2015, covering ten articles and two separate episodes of information gathering that did not lead to publication. For instance, they claim a 2009 article about John cancelling tour dates due to illness was developed using unlawfully accessed medical information.
However, ANL has strongly denied all allegations, labelling them as "groundless and unsupported by the evidence before the court." In their defence, ANL's legal team argued that the articles in question were sourced from legitimate channels, such as journalists' contacts, the couple's spokesperson, and public statements. They also pointed to John's former publicist, Gary Farrow, as a regular source of information for the media, including health-related details.
Disputes Over Evidence and Sources
During the proceedings, barrister Catrin Evans for ANL countered specific claims, stating that medical information in the 2009 article came from John's own website and spokesperson statements. Similarly, she noted that details in a 2015 article about John falling ill in Monaco had already appeared in the French press. ANL also challenged the claimants' methodology, accusing their legal team of trying to link payment records to private investigators with articles based on loose timing, calling this approach "utterly baseless."
Furnish, who gave evidence via a video link with occasional technical issues, maintained that his social circle would not share private information, as friends are aware of his family's need for discretion. He described mastering "the art of saying nothing" when dealing with journalists, despite engaging in casual conversations.
The case continues, with both sides presenting their arguments in what has become a significant legal showdown over media practices and privacy rights in the UK.
