A lawsuit filed in 2019 against News Group Newspapers, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, has taken a new turn as lawyers for Prince Harry and other public figures seek to amend the lawsuit. The lawsuit accuses Murdoch's company of illegal privacy invasions, including hacking, dating back to the mid-1990s.
The latest development in the case alleges that Rupert Murdoch personally provided false information and was involved in covering up the wrongdoing. Additionally, a top Murdoch lieutenant, Rebekah Brooks, is accused of giving misleading evidence.
The lawsuit claims that executives at the newspaper group, including Murdoch and his son James Murdoch, promoted the false narrative that the scandal involved only 'one rogue reporter' and attempted to silence senior executives.
News Group Newspapers has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them a 'scurrilous and cynical attack on their integrity.' The company stated that some of the allegations date back thirty years and are irrelevant to the current legal matters.
The lawsuit, set to go to trial early next year, could have broader implications, potentially affecting Murdoch's media empire in the U.S. Former deputy Will Lewis, now with the Washington Post, is also facing allegations of involvement in the cover-up.
The phone hacking scandal, which rocked Murdoch's media empire over a decade ago, led to the closure of News of the World and numerous legal settlements. The scandal was not limited to Murdoch's publications, with other outlets also engaging in illegal phone hacking.
Prince Harry, a victim of phone hacking himself, has been pursuing legal action against various media outlets, including Murdoch's newspapers. The ongoing legal battle has been ongoing for over fifteen years, with News Group Newspapers seeking to bring it to a close.
