Laurence Fox did libel two men with ‘paedophile’ slur judge rules in High Court battle-Kitty Chrisp-Entertainment – Metro

Laurence Fox has lost his libel battle against two men he referred to as ‘paedophiles’ (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)

The verdict of Laurence Fox’s High Court libel case has been made, ruling he did indeed libel two men he referred to as ‘paedophiles’ on social media in 2020.

The actor-turned-politician faced two people who he referred to as paedophiles on social media in a ruling on Monday.

He was sued by former Stonewall trustee Simon Blake and drag artist Crystal over a row on Twitter, now known as X, in October 2020.

Fox called Mr Blake and the former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant, whose real name is Colin Seymour, ‘paedophiles’.

It started when the Reclaim Party founder called for a boycott of Sainsbury’s after they announced plans to provide a safe space for black employees during Black History Month.

In response to the boycott, Fox was called a ‘racist’ by Crystal, Blake and actress Nicola Thorp.

The former GB News presenter counter-sued the pair, as well as Thorp, over tweets accusing him of racism.

The case is about an exchange on X, formerly Twitter, in 2020 (Picture: PA)

Fox said at the time he would boycott Sainsbury’s, accusing it of promoting ‘racial segregation and discrimination’.

In today’s ruling, Mrs Justice Collins Rice described Laurence Fox’s ‘labelling’ of two men as paedophiles in a social media row ‘seriously harmful, defamatory and baseless’.

She continued: ‘The law affords few defences to defamation of this sort.

‘Mr Fox did not attempt to show these allegations were true, and he was not able to bring himself on the facts within the terms of any other defence recognised in law.

‘This judgment therefore stands as the beginning of the legal vindication to which (Simon) Blake and (Colin) Seymour are entitled, as successful defamation claimants.’

She added that the issue of damages and any other remedies would be discussed at a later date.

During a trial in London in November, Fox was described was an alleged ‘intelligent racist with an agenda’.

Fox – who denies being a racist – told the hearing in London in November that the trio’s posts were ‘an organised pile on designed to destroy my career and (that’s) exactly the result that it was intended to do’.

In her tweet, Thorp alleged that ‘any company giving future employment to Laurence Fox, or providing him with a platform, does so with the complete knowledge that he is unequivocally, publicly and undeniably a racist’.

Lorna Skinner KC, representing Blake, Seymour and Thorp, said the trio ‘honestly believed, and continue honestly to believe, that Fox is a racist’.

She said the actor ‘has made a number of highly controversial statements about race’, adding: ‘If and to the extent that Fox has been harmed in his reputation, it is his own conduct and not the claimants’ comments on it that caused that harm.’

Laurence used to be married to Billie Piper (Picture: David M. Benett/Getty Images for St Martins Lane)

The barrister highlighted several of Fox’s social media posts, including a June 2022 tweet of four pride flags arranged in the shape of a swastika.

In his written evidence for the case, Seymour, a Canadian artist, said he had faced ‘overwhelming and distressing’ abuse after Fox’s tweet, adding that he felt less safe as a drag performer.

Blake, now chief executive of Mental Health First Aid England, said the incorrect suggestion that gay men were paedophiles was a ‘trope as old as the hills’.

Broadcaster Thorp claimed that Fox had ‘outed himself as a racist’ with the tweet calling for a boycott of the supermarket.

Patrick Green KC, representing Fox – who denies he is a racist – told the court neither Blake nor Seymour ‘has suffered any actual, real-world consequences’ due to the actor’s tweets.

He is now largely known for his controversial politics (Picture: PA)

The barrister said the posts did not cause people to think worse of Blake and Seymour, and that people did not believe they were paedophiles.

Instead, Green said readers would have understood that Fox’s posts were a ‘retort to an allegation of racism’ rather than a factual allegation.

Fox is more famed for his controversial opinions these days than his acting roles in films such as Becoming Jane.

Last year, Laurence was sacked from GB News after he went on a vile misogynistic rant about a female journalist Ava Evans.

On Dan Wootton’s Tonight show on September 26, Fox described Joe political correspondent Ava Evans as a ‘little woman’ and added: ‘Who would want to shag that?’

His sacking came just hours after he was arrested on suspicion of ‘conspiring to commit criminal damage to ULEZ cameras,’ the Met Police told Metro.co.uk at the time.

Fox rose to fame in various films and TV shows, including series Inspector Lewis, A Room With a View, which he starred in alongside Helena Bonham Carter, and Gosford Park.

He was previously married to Billie Piper from 2007 to 2016.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Laurence Fox’s famous relative ‘shocked and appalled’ by his political views

MORE : Laurence Fox’s ‘paedophile’ comment brought up in High Court case

Entertainment – MetroRead More