Laurence Fox loses High Court battle for calling people 'paedophiles'

The actor-turned-politician was sued by former Stonewall trustee Simon Blake and drag artist Crystal over a row on Twitter/X.

Fox called Blake and the former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant, whose real name is Colin Seymour, “paedophiles” in an exchange about a decision by Sainsbury’s to celebrate Black History Month.

The Reclaim Party founder (below) – who said at the time that he would boycott the supermarket – counter-sued the pair and broadcaster Nicola Thorp over tweets accusing him of racism.

In a ruling on Monday, High Court judge Justice Collins Rice ruled in favour of Blake and Seymour, dismissing Fox’s counter-claims.

She said: “Mr Fox’s labelling of Mr Blake and Mr Seymour as paedophiles was, on the evidence, probabilities and facts of this case, seriously harmful, defamatory and baseless.

“The law affords few defences to defamation of this sort.

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“Mr Fox did not attempt to show these allegations were true, and he was not able to bring himself on the facts within the terms of any other defence recognised in law.”

In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, drag artist Crystal said: “I am incredibly relieved to have this outcome – a huge weight I’ve been carrying for over three years has just been lifted.

“I want to say again that I took no joy in bringing this case, nor did I do so lightly. Mr Fox could have made this go away very early on with a meaningful apology and settlement.”

The drag artist, whose real name is Colin Seymour, continued: “Ironically for Mr Fox, this victory is a victory for free speech.

“The freedom to express an opinion and not be sued for doing so. Free speech does not cover factual allegations of criminality such as paedophilia.”

Seymour added: This judgment unequivocally states that his tweet was defamatory and that it caused me harm. I am very happy to have this finalised and I hope it will make some difference in the ongoing demonisation of queer people as ‘groomers’ or ‘dangerous’.

“This is a lesson: we will not take it.”

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During a trial in London in November, Fox was described as an alleged “intelligent racist with an agenda”.

Lorna Skinner KC, representing Blake, Seymour and Thorp, said the trio “honestly believed, and continue honestly to believe, that Mr Fox is a racist”.

In his written evidence for the case, Seymour, a Canadian artist, said he had faced “overwhelming and distressing” abuse after Fox’s tweet, adding that he felt less safe as a drag performer.

Blake, now chief executive of Mental Health First Aid England, said the incorrect suggestion that gay men are paedophiles is “a trope as old as the hills”.

However, Patrick Green KC, representing Fox, told the court that neither Blake nor Seymour “has suffered any actual, real-world consequences” due to the actor’s tweets.

Fox told the court he was “horrified” when he saw he had been called a racist, which he later described as “a career-ending word and a reputation-destroying allegation”.

The actor said he faced a “significant decline” in the number and quality of roles he was offered after he was accused of being a racist in the social media row.