Hugh Grant settles court case with The Sun newspaper publisher following allegations of unlawful information gathering

Hollywood actor Hugh Grant has settled his court case with the publisher of tabloid newspaper The Sun after he accused the outlet of unlawful information gathering.

Grant, 63, had brought legal action against News Group Newspapers (NGN) in relation to information gathering practices by The Sun only. The actor alleged that he had been targeted by journalists and private investigators. NGN denied any unlawful activity at the newspaper.

He is among a number of people bringing claims against NGN, with other claimants including Duke of Sussex. His claim was due to be heard at a trial in January 2025, however a preliminary hearing for the litigation against the publisher on Wednesday was told it had recently been settled. Grant said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he was offered an “enormous sum of money” to settle the case. He added that in continuing with the case, he would have been left liable for £10m in legal costs.

He said: “News Group are claiming they are entirely innocent of the things I had accused the Sun of doing - phone hacking, unlawful information gathering, landline tapping, the burglary of my flat and office, the bugging of my car, the illegal blagging of medical records, lies, perjury and the destruction of evidence. As is common with entirely innocent people, they are offering me an enormous sum of money to keep this matter out of court.”

Grant said that he “didn’t want to accept this money or settle”, saying: “The rules around civil litigation mean that if I proceed to trial and the court awards me damages that are even a penny less than the settlement offer, I would have to pay the legal costs of both sides. My lawyers tell me that that is exactly what would most likely happen here.  Rupert Murdoch’s lawyers are very expensive.

“So even if every allegation is proven in court, I would still be liable for something approaching £10 million in costs. I’m afraid I am shying at that fence.”

He added: “Murdoch’s settlement money has a stink and I refuse to let this be hush money. I have spent the best part of 12 years fighting for a free press that does not distort the truth, abuse ordinary members of the public or hold elected MPs to ransom in pursuit of newspaper barons’ personal profit and political power.”

Prince Harry’s case against NGN is still slated to go ahead. It is currently set to go on trial in January 2025.