Stephen Bing, father of Liz Hurley’s child, has accepted an apology and “substantial” damages over a Daily Mail article in December 2001 headlined “Private eyes and sexual slurs – how Bing is trying to destroy Liz”.
Bing’s solicitor, Nathalie Paterson, told Mr Justice Gray in the High Court the story alleged Bing and his co-claimant, lawyer Martin Singer, had “orchestrated a vicious campaign” to destroy the reputation of Hurley.
She said the Mail article alleged Bing deployed an “anti-Hurley” team, which included a private detective to dig up dirt on the actress. “The alleged purpose of the campaign was to reduce the sum of money which a California jury would order Bing to pay Ms Hurley in any paternity suit.”
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However, she said that the Mail, along with editor Paul Dacre and journalist Daniel Jeffreys, now accepted there was “no truth whatsoever in the allegations”.
She said the article had caused Bing and Singer considerable distress and embarrassment and the Daily Mail now apologised and had agreed to pay substantial sums to British children’s charities by way of damages. It would also meet their legal costs.
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