Judge Orders Prince Harry And 6 Other Celebrities To Pay Media Outlet Millions

By Leena Nasir

London’s High Court ruled Friday that Prince Harry, Elton John, and five other high-profile figures must pay 9.54 million pounds after losing their privacy lawsuits.

The interim payment will go toward the Daily Mail publisher’s legal costs and will be due by Aug. 28.

Prince Harry, Elton John, his husband, David Furnish, and actors Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley were among the claimants listed. Former Liberal Democratic MP Simon Hughes and anti-racism activist Doreen Lawrence were also named, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Judge Mathew Nicklin rejected their allegations that the Daily Mail participated in phone hacking and other unlawful methods to obtain information that was later published. Nicklin advised all claimants that they may face an additional 25 million pounds in legal costs, according to the AP.

Nicklin’s ruling fell at the higher end of the range of possible penalties.

Nicklin addressed the matter, saying “several features” were considered before he came to his decision.

He asserted that the “speculative” nature of the claims and the group’s refusal to “voluntarily” withdraw serious allegations that they were unable to substantiate were key factors in his decision.

“The conduct was unreasonable to a high degree,” Nicklin said, according to the AP.

Britain’s Daily Mail and its publisher, Associated Newspapers, claimed to have incurred more than 34 million pounds in legal fees over the course of the proceedings.

Nicklin said he would not enforce a cap on the claimants’ liabilities. (RELATED: Prince Harry, Elton John Lose Years-Long Privacy Lawsuit Against Daily Mail Publisher)

Associated Newspapers issued a statement following the ruling, saying in part that the judgment is a “devastating critique of an attempt to destroy a newspaper and the reputations of its journalists, editors and executives,” according to the AP.

“The truth is that these outrageous claims should never have been brought,” the publication said.