Actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox has been ordered to pay £90,000 in damages each to two people he referred to as “paedophiles” on social media.
Fox was successfully sued by former Stonewall trustee Simon Blake and drag artist Crystal over a row on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After losing a High Court libel battle, it means he will have to pay out a total of £180,000.
Fox called Mr Blake and Crystal, a former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant whose real name is Colin Seymour, “paedophiles” in an exchange they had over Sainsbury’s decision to mark Black History Month back in October 2020.
The Reclaim Party founder said at the time he would boycott the supermarket and he attempted to counter-sue the pair, along with broadcaster Nicola Thorp, over tweets accusing him of racism.
In a previous judgement in January, Mrs Justice Collins Rice dismissed Fox’s counter claims and ruled in favour of Mr Blake and Mr Seymour.
Then in today’s ruling, the judge said Fox should pay out £180,000.
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She said: “By calling Mr Blake and Mr Seymour paedophiles, Mr Fox subjected them to a wholly undeserved public ordeal.
“It was a gross, groundless and indefensible libel, with distressing and harmful real-world consequences for them.”
At a hearing in March, Lorna Skinner KC, for Mr Blake and Mr Seymour, argued the pair should receive “at least six-figure sums” from Fox.
However, Patrick Green KC, for Fox, said the starting point of the damages should be between £10,000 and £20,000, with the total being “substantially lowered” due to an apology from Fox and the alleged absence of malice.
Ahead of Thursday’s ruling, Fox claimed the judgement was a “bullies charter”. He added: “Enjoy the victory guys and I hope it is short lived!”
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