David Furnish has delivered a withering condemnation of Associated Newspapers Ltd.
At the High Court in London, the husband of music icon Elton John described the alleged phone hacking by the Daily Mail’s publisher as an “abomination” that left his family feeling violated.
In a powerful witness statement, Furnish laid bare the emotional toll of the intrusion. He detailed how he and John were targeted by private investigators commissioned by the newspaper, who allegedly tapped landlines and intercepted voicemails to feed a hunger for “narrow-minded” stories.
“To know that they were enabled to do this to us through stolen information is an abomination,” Furnish declared.
The couple is part of a high-profile cohort of claimants, including Prince Harry, who are determined to hold the tabloid giant accountable.
Furnish’s testimony paints a picture of a media organisation operating without a moral compass. He revealed that for years, he assumed the leaks of their private information came from loose-lipped friends or staff.
The realisation that it was a systematic espionage operation came after a call from the couple’s good friend Elizabeth Hurley in 2021.
“We are very grateful that Elizabeth called us,” Furnish wrote.
“If she hadn’t, we wouldn’t know what had happened and would never have known that the law had been broken and our private home and private lives barged into.”
The couple are among seven people suing the publisher of The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday for breaches of privacy.
Associated Newspapers Ltd denies the allegations, labelling them “groundless” and claiming the stories were sourced legitimately through public statements and contacts.
