Hugh Grant, Liz Hurley and husband win privacy suit against photo agencies

Two photo agencies have agreed to pay about $115,000 to Hugh Grant, his ex-girlfriend Liz Hurley and her husband for invasion of privacy over photographs taken of them on vacation.

The pictures, taken at a private resort in the Maldives, were published in Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper; and on their website in an article headed “Hugh’s that gooseberry?”; and in the News of the World newspaper in an article headed “Liz does the blokey-cokey”, and on their website.  I don’t know about those article titles but it’s a British thing!

The photos were offered to a number of other newspapers and celebrity magazines in October 2007.

None of the three claimants was at the High Court in London to hear the settlement against Big Pictures (UK) Ltd and Eliot Press SARL.

The agencies have apologized unequivocally  for using a long lens to violate the trio’s privacy and agreed to pay some of the group’s legal costs.

Grant, Hurley and her husband, Arun Nayar, have released a statement saying it was “reprehensible” that photos were taken of Hurley’s son playing naked on the beach.

The trio plan to donate the money to a cancer charity.