Sadie Frost testified in the High Court that Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail, allegedly hacked her voicemails and put a "price on her head" for stories. She claimed reporters obtained private details, including her terminated pregnancy, through unlawful means.
Immediate Action & Core Facts
Frost, one of seven claimants in the case, accused ANL of grave breaches of privacy over a 20-year period. She cited 11 articles and two incidents of alleged unlawful information gathering, including one about an ectopic pregnancy in 2003 that was not published. Frost stated that some articles contained verbatim quotes from her voicemails, which she believed could only have been obtained through hacking.
ANL has denied all wrongdoing in relation to Frost and the other claimants, including Prince Harry and Elizabeth Hurley.
Deeper Dive & Context
Allegations of Voicemail Interception
Frost testified that she knew "100%" certain stories matched her voicemails "word for word." She became emotional recounting how reporters allegedly bugged a 2002 call to her then-husband, Jude Law, revealing that her two-year-old daughter had swallowed part of an ecstasy tablet at a party. The subsequent press attention caused her "suffering," she said.
Evidence from Convicted Phone Hacker
The claimants' legal team presented an April 2006 email from convicted phone hacker Greg Miskiw, who referenced a conversation between Frost and her former nanny. The email included direct quotes and mentioned a child psychologist, which the legal team argued were obtained through voicemail interception. Miskiw asked a Mail on Sunday journalist if they were interested in Frost, to which the journalist responded affirmatively.
Other Claimants and Broader Implications
The case involves six other high-profile individuals, including Doreen Lawrence, Sir Elton John, and David Furnish. The allegations span from 2000 to at least 2010, raising questions about the extent of unlawful information gathering in the British press. Frost's testimony follows Prince Harry's earlier evidence in the case.
The trial continues as the court weighs the evidence presented by both sides.