Elizabeth Hurley breaks down in court over alleged phone tapping by UK tabloid

Prince Harry rallied behind Elizabeth Hurley, who shed tears in court over allegations of invasion of privacy on Thursday.

The British royal and the model are among seven plaintiffs, including Elton John, who are suing the Daily Mail and Mail publisher Associated Newspapers on Sunday. They claim that UK tabloids have engaged in “blatant, systematic and persistent unlawful information gathering” for more than two decades, according to lawyer David Sherborne.

The 60-year-old model and actress wept as she claimed in London’s High Court that her landlines and home were tapped to produce tabloid stories in what she described as a “brutal invasion of privacy”.

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Hurley paused several times to compose himself as he described being the target of “deeply hurtful and damaging” articles, The Guardian reported. He accused the broadcaster of placing a listening device on a window sill and using information from tapped landlines.

During questioning, Hurley was asked why he had not previously complained about 15 articles published between 2002 and 2011, People reported. He said he didn’t file a complaint because “it’s actually true.”

“I believe it’s because people are listening to me talk,” he said.

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Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital it was a no-brainer that Harry was present at Thursday’s hearing despite not testifying.

“Harry was happy to support Liz Hurley,” he said. “She allegedly felt that her home had been bugged, which caused her to become very upset and concerned that unknown persons were unlawfully invading her privacy.”

Prince Harry’s courtroom sketch made on January 21, 2026. (Reuters/Julia Quenzler)

Royal commentator Meredith Constant told Fox News Digital: “Prince Harry was originally supposed to testify today, so it’s nice to see him in court after an emotional day to support another plaintiff.”

Prince Harry is seen outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on January 22, 2026. A group of plaintiffs, including the Duke of Sussex, Sir Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, are suing the publishers of the Daily Mail, alleging they illegally collected information between 1993 and 2011. (Neil Mockford/GC Images/Getty Images)

“This is a visual reminder that this case is not just about Prince Harry. This is very powerful. This is not a case of whining and giving the British royal family a huge headache, as some UK media outlets have tried to frame this.”

Guard In a witness statement filed with the court, Hurley said she said the illegal acts committed against her included “tapping my landline phones and recording my live phone calls, placing hidden microphones in the windows of my home, having my medical information stolen while I was pregnant … and other monstrous, shocking things.”

Elizabeth Hurley, Associated Newspapers Ltd. She leaves with her son Damian Hurley during the trial brought against her at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on 22 January 2026. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

“First of all, I was devastated by the revelation that the Mail had been tapping my home landline and taped my live telephone conversations,” he said. “I felt crushed.”

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This courtroom sketch shows Elizabeth Hurley giving evidence in London’s High Court as Prince Harry (left) looks on. (Priscilla Coleman/MB Media)

Hurley said he often wonders if people close to him are leaking private conversations or if someone nearby is overhearing them.

Associated Newspapers vehemently denied the allegations made by the plaintiffs, calling them “preposterous.” The publisher said the nearly 50 articles in question were based on legitimate sources, including acquaintances who volunteered information about their famous friends.

Elizabeth Hurley and Damian Hurley arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on January 20, 2026. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Lead attorney Anthony White argued that the information released about Hurley came legally and from sources who spoke willingly about his famous friends.

Elizabeth Hurley collapsed in the High Court of London on January 22, 2026. (Priscilla Coleman/MB Media)

A visibly emotional Hurley said he aimed to protect his son and would not say anything publicly that he would not want him to read. He added that all quotes from the aforementioned friends were approved and undisputed, and that his own statements were in good faith and did not reveal private information.

At one point, Hurley was offered a break but declined. “It was a pretty traumatic time,” his voice cracked. People reported.

Elizabeth Hurley gave an emotional statement at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London on the fourth day of the trial over allegations of unlawful collection of information brought against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) on January 22, 2026. (Jordan Pettitt/PA images via Getty Images)

Hurley’s statement came a day after Harry was on the witness stand for two and a half hours on Wednesday. That day, she released a witness statement naming her brother, Prince William, and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.

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Prince William, Prince of Wales, rides a lightweight mobility scooter while visiting the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) on January 22, 2026 in Bristol, England. The Prince of Wales is visiting Bristol to see the city’s sustainability achievements. (Alastair Grant – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

People reported that the list was part of Harry’s argument describing the circle of people with whom he was “in regular contact” between 1996 and 2014.

The 41-year-old journalist claimed that private information published by tabloids could only come from illegally obtained information shared within trusted circles.

The Duke of Sussex left the Royal Courts of Justice in central London on January 22, 2026, following a show of support and solidarity with other claimants. (Jordan Pettitt/PA images via Getty Images)

“It makes perfect sense for Harry to name William and Kate,” Constant said. “This serves as a reminder that allegations of illegal doxxing and invasive tactics to obtain information do not occur in a bubble.

Catherine, Princess of Wales visited Radical Weavers, a working handloom studio and independent charity that aims to combat social isolation and support people affected by trauma by providing the opportunity to learn traditional Scottish tartan weaving skills, in Stirling, Scotland, on January 20, 2026. (Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

“The shocking difference between the brothers and how they decided to deal with the tabloids is on full display. The idea that not only the tabloids but also how William and Harry decided to deal with the UK press contributed to the years-long separation cannot be ignored.”

British royal expert Hilary Fordwich criticized the decision.

“Harry quite ironically stated in the court transcript regarding Prince William: ‘We trusted each other with extremely sensitive information, which we shared about our private, family and professional lives,'” Fordwich told Fox News Digital. “And now Harry is the hypocrite who betrayed that most sacred trust.”

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It comes in the first week of a nine-week trial against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers, which Britain’s Prince Harry, the royal and others sued in London’s High Court on January 21, 2026, over allegations of privacy breaches going back 30 years. (Isabel Infantes/Reuters)

“While other royals focus on duty and service, he is dragging the monarchy into the raw world of celebrity victimization,” Fordwich said. “The judge had to remind Harry that the allegations were not evidence.”

Harry also appeared emotional as he told the court that the Daily Mail had made his wife Meghan Markle’s life “an absolute misery”. Harry said the idea that he did not have a right to privacy was “disgusting”, adding that the legal battle was another “terrible experience” for his family.

“Associated Newspapers was the outlet that published Meghan’s letter to her father, Thomas Markle, in 2019,” Constant previously told Fox News Digital.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in the wealthy coastal city of Montecito. They left England in 2020. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“Given that Meghan and Harry claimed they were ignored when they sought legal action against the Mail on Sunday that year, it was a bit defensively rich to suggest that Prince Harry should have gone to the palace’s preferred law firm.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from senior royals in 2020 amid intense media scrutiny and a lack of support from the palace. They moved to California.