Hugh Grant Accepts Major Payout in Privacy Invasion Lawsuit Against The Sun Tabloid

The internationally acclaimed actor, Hugh Grant, has agreed to accept a considerable payout as a settlement in a lawsuit against The Sun tabloid. The storied British newspaper stood accused of outright invasion of Grant’s personal privacy by unlawfully wiretapping his phone, planting bugs in his vehicle, and even burglarising his own residence.

The court announcement, however, came with an air of reluctance from Grant. His hesitance to settle, he attributed to a policy risk wherein even a victorious lawsuit could stick him with a substantial legal bill; precedence looming ominously for Prince Harry, a fellow claimant. This untenable court rule was designed to prevent excessive court gridlock, but paradoxically, might compel Grant to pay both parties’ legal fees if his court-awarded settlement dipped below the pre-trial settlement offer.

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Grant voiced his discontent on the social media platform X. “They are offering me a vast sum to keep this matter out of court,” he said wryly. “Sadly, the toe-stubbing fear of a mammoth legal bill somewhere in the region of £10 million ($12.4 million) has got the best of me.”

Neither Grant nor The Sun specified the exact settlement figure. NGN, the parent company of The Sun, vehemently maintained its innocence, stating that the settlement was a mutually beneficial decision to sidestep the potential expenses of a protracted legal battle.

The allegations made by Grant and others claim that NGN, a fragment of Rupert Murdoch’s media juggernaut, egregiously invaded their privacy between 1994 and 2016. Tactics allegedly included hiring private investigators to intercept voicemails, install wiretaps and car bugs, and employ deception to gain access to sensitive, confidential information.

This accusation places Grant in the company of other high-profile celebrities like actress Sienna Miller, football legend Paul Gascoigne, and former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, all of whom have previously settled similar claims against the publisher.

Gideon Benaim, an unrelated third-party attorney, opined that the newspaper possibly took tactical advantage of the court’s “titanic” rules by proposing a scarcely surmountable advance settlement.

Despite his grim revelations, Grant has resolved not to fade quietly into the night. He has pledged to continue his decade-long campaign for a free press uncorrupted by distortion or abuse of power.

“Murdoch’s hush money might choke him, but it won’t stifle me,” Grant said, vowing to redirect the settlement funds to organizations promoting journalistic integrity, like Hacked Off. Committed to making a difference, Grant is a board member of this group, born in the wake of the 2011 phone-hacking scandal.

Ironically, whilst the now-defunct News of the World has confessed to tapping celebrities’ phones, The Sun has consistently resolved issues without admitting liability.

For Prince Harry, his lawsuit against The Sun is just one of three cases. Asserting that these tabloids have tormented him throughout his life, he lays blame at their doorstep for the tragic loss of his mother, Princess Diana. A noteworthy victory came last year when a court ruled Mirror Group Newspapers guilty of systemic phone hacking.

The fog of these proceedings guards the specifics of Prince Harry’s settlement, but it is known that he is set to receive an installment of 400,000 pounds ($498,000) towards his legal fees. Regrettably, this further confirms the adage – truth comes at a price.