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News Corp. settles with celebs; faces 100 more hacking suits

Company formally apologized to Hugh Grant, Sarah Ferguson, others today in court

By Ashley Post

February 8, 2013 • Reprints

Even though News Corp. settled a handful of claims today related to its notorious hacking scandal, more lawsuits are on the way.

At a hearing in a London court today, News Corp. formally apologized to celebrities and other public figures—including the actor Hugh Grant; the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson; and psychic Uri Geller—whose voicemails it had hacked. According to CNN, the publishing company paid undisclosed but “substantial” damages to them. Since November 2012, News Corp. has settled 144 cases related to the hacking scandal.

A lawyer for claimants said in court that News Corp. can expect to face more than 100 additional hacking-related suits in the near future as the police notify more victims.

Cases that haven’t been settled are scheduled to go to trial this June.

Read Bloomberg for more information.

For more InsideCounsel coverage of the New Corp. hacking scandal, read:

Judgment concerning News of the World’s Andy Coulson has implications for employers

Hugh Grant, Charlotte Church’s priest sue News Corp.

News Corp. GC named new head of hacking investigation committee

Prosecutors charge former News Corp. exec in hacking scandal

News of the World hacked more than 1,000 peoples’ phones

Blogger/detective sues News Corp.’s Times newspaper for hacking his email

Phone-hacking victims may sue News Corp. in U.S. courts

News Corp. settles hacking claims with 36 victims

Victims get access to evidence in newspaper’s phone hacking scandal