British singer Elton John has accused Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), the publisher of 'Daily Mail' and 'Mail on Sunday', of an 'aberrant' invasion of privacy. He claims the publication revealed details of his health and the birth of his first son via a surrogate mother. In his written testimony, John stated that the 'Mail' clandestinely investigated him 'at periods when he was hospitalized.' He also added that documents proving their intense investigation into the birth of their first son, Zachary, were found. The singer appeared via video link at the High Court of London, becoming the last of the seven claimants. Among them are Prince Harry and actress Liz Hurley. They are suing ANL for allegedly obtaining confidential information through illegal means, such as phone tapping, deception, or data theft, often using private detectives, between 1993 and 2011, and in some cases, until 2018. John and his husband David Furnish's lawsuit focuses on ten articles published between 2000 and 2015. 'Our complaint addresses some of the most horrendous things imaginable in terms of invasion of privacy,' John said when questioned by ANL's lawyer, Catrin Evans. He rejected the company's argument that the group, which filed its lawsuit in 2022, did so out of time, stating that he filed it when he became aware 'of the seriousness of what happened' after the revelations of some involved detectives. 'We do not believe there was any legitimate way they could have discovered details about our egg donor, the embryos, and paternity issues,' stated the singer. 'I have dedicated my life to my music, but that does not mean that deeply personal matters that I have a right to manage in private have to be in the public domain,' he added. It is expected that some of the victims' lawyers will continue to testify next week. The nine-week trial, which is expected to conclude at the end of March, will then see the court deliver its verdict.
