John & Furnish: Violated by unlawful news gathering

David Furnish has voiced strong condemnation, calling it an "abomination" that information allegedly obtained through unlawful methods was used to publish judgmental stories about him and Elton John. He expressed that he and John felt "violated" by these actions, which reportedly involved phone tapping and the use of private investigators.

Furnish detailed his feelings in written submissions to the high court, where he is part of a group of seven claimants, including Prince Harry. They are suing Associated Newspapers Ltd, alleging that the company orchestrated unlawful information gathering to generate news stories. ANL has denied all claims, asserting that the challenged articles were derived from various legitimate sources, including journalists' contacts and official statements.

Furnish's perspective shifted after actor Elizabeth Hurley informed him in February 2021 about allegations of unlawful tactics. He stated that without her intervention, they would not have known about the alleged breaches of law and intrusion into their private lives. The claimants allege that voicemail interceptions and other unlawful methods were employed for 10 articles published between 2000 and 2015, alongside two separate alleged incidents of unlawful gathering that did not result in publication.

ANL's legal team countered by stating that a private investigator implicated in the allegations, Gavin Burrows, has denied involvement in any investigation related to Elton John or anyone connected to him. Furthermore, ANL suggested that information regarding John's health and personal life was regularly provided to the media by his former spokesperson, Gary Farrow, and that the claimants' researchers were attempting to link payments to investigators with articles without sufficient evidence.