On January 22, Elizabeth Hurley gave a tearful testimony at London’s High Court amid the ongoing privacy case involving Prince Harry and several high-profile figures against British tabloids.
The 60-year-old, who was joined by Prince Harry in court to witness in solidarity, detailed what she described as years of unlawful intrusion into her private life.
At one point, the judge offered Hurley a break as her voice cracked during the testimony, but she declined.
“It was a pretty traumatic time,” she said, according to People.
Elizabeth Hurley described alleged bugging as a “brutal invasion of privacy” as she broke down in tears in court
Image credits: Aaron Chown – PA Images
While testifying at court, Hurley became visibly emotional and broke down in tears.
She alleged that her home landlines were tapped and that surreptitious microphones were placed near her windowsill to obtain private information used in tabloid stories.
Hurley is one of seven claimants suing Associated Newspapers, the publisher behind the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. Others include Elton John, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Simon Hughes, and Doreen Lawrence.
Through her legal team, she accused the publisher of engaging in what attorney David Sherborne described as the “clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering” over 20 years.
Image credits: Jordan Pettitt – PA Images
In the middle of questioning, Hurley paused several times to compose herself as she recalled the emotional toll of seeing “deeply hurtful and damaging” articles published about her between 2002 and 2011.
According to The Guardian, she claimed the journalists relied on information obtained from tapped landlines and hidden recording devices to generate stories about her private life.
In a witness statement submitted to the court, Hurley admitted that the most devastating revelation was discovering that her home phones had allegedly been tapped and her live conversations recorded.
“I felt crushed,” she told the court, describing the experience as a “brutal invasion of privacy.”
The Royals star further explained why she did not challenge the articles published using unlawful sources at the time
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During questioning, Anthony White, the lead barrister for Associated Newspapers, raised a crucial point, asking why Hurley did not lodge a formal complaint when the articles were originally published.
She acknowledged that many of the articles were factually accurate.
“They were, in essence, true,” she said, adding that she believed this was precisely because her private conversations were being monitored. “I believe it’s because people were listening to me speak,” according to People.
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Hurley further explained to the court that she often questioned whether her close friends were leaking information or if someone nearby could overhear her conversations.
She emphasized that any quotes attributed to named friends had been approved by her and were uncontroversial. Even her own public comments were deliberately benign and avoided revealing private details.
Prince Harry rallied behind Elizabeth Hurley to support her in his long-standing legal case against the British tabloid
@dailyexpress Elizabeth Hurley grew tearful while speaking in court 😢 #dailyexpress #newsforyou #elizabethhurley ♬ original sound – Daily Express
Despite not being scheduled to testify the same day, Prince Harry was present in Court 76.
His attendance came just one day after he spent more than two hours on the witness stand in the same case.
Royal commentator Meredith Constant told Fox News Digital that Harry’s presence was a deliberate show of support.
The royal expert further noted that while the 41-year-old was originally expected to testify on January 22, his testimony was moved forward after the defense wrapped up its opening arguments earlier than anticipated.
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“It’s a visual reminder that this case isn’t just about Prince Harry,” Constant said. “It’s powerful.”
Another royal expert, Ian Pelham Turner, emphasized the fact that Harry’s support was unsurprising, given the similarities between Hurley’s claims and his own long-standing grievances with the British press.
On January 21, Prince Harry alleged that journalists made his wife, Meghan Markle’s, life “an absolute misery”.
He told the court that the idea he was not entitled to privacy was “disgusting” and the litigation itself a “horrible experience” for his family.
Despite Elizabeth Hurley and Prince Harry’s strong claims, Associated Newspapers denied all accusations of unlawful conduct
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Following Hurley’s testimony, Associated Newspapers strongly denied her claims, calling them “preposterous” and “unsupported by the evidence.”
The publisher claimed that the roughly 50 articles cited by the claimants were sourced legitimately. This included information provided voluntarily by publicists, acquaintances, and previously published material.
Furthermore, Anthony White argued in court that journalists lawfully obtained information about Hurley through named sources and her own interviews.
@cbsmornings On the witness stand Wednesday, Prince Harry accused the published of the Daily Mail of wanting to drive him to drugs and drinking, and, apparently on the verge of tears, the British royal said the tabloids he is suing “made my wife’s life an absolute misery,” referring to Meghan Markle. Prince Harry is among a group of people, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, who are suing the owner other than two British tabloids. #princeharry ♬ original sound – CBS Mornings
He also suggested that some details, particularly involving her relationship with the late Steve Bing, could have originated from Bing himself or his associates.
White stressed that aside from a now-discovered witness statement from a private investigator, the hacking and bugging allegations were “wholly inferential.”
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However, Hurley rejected that characterization, sharing that while some information may have circulated publicly, the most private details did not come from her friends.
“Yes, there were leaks,” she said, “but they were not from my friends.”
Hurley’s testimony came following Prince Harry’s final active lawsuit against the British media
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Hurley’s deposition unfolded during Harry’s final active lawsuit against the British media.
The nine-week trial followed a string of legal battles Harry has waged against U.K. tabloids.
In 2023, he became the first senior royal in more than a century to testify in court during a separate phone-hacking case.
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In January 2025, he reached a surprising settlement with The Sun, which issued a “full and unequivocal apology” and paid an eight-figure sum in damages for unlawful information gathering.
In February 2024, the Duke of Sussex received a “substantial” settlement against another publisher, Mirror Group Newspapers.
Harry argued during his visit to court on January 21 that the coverage by the media left him “paranoid beyond belief” and isolated from those around him.
As of now, the trial continues as both parties have yet to reach a settlement.
“The Daily Mail is going to regret taking this case to court,” wrote one netizen
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