Laurence Fox’s libel claim against individuals who called him a racist on social media will go to a retrial, the Court of Appeal ruled on Friday. The former actor had challenged a previous High Court decision that dismissed his counter-claims and ordered him to pay £90,000 each to Simon Blake, chief executive of Stonewall, and drag artist Crystal, whose real name is Colin Seymour.
The dispute originated in October 2020 when Fox called for a boycott of Sainsbury’s over its Black History Month promotion. In response, Blake, Seymour, and broadcaster Nicola Thorp called Fox “a racist” on Twitter, now X. Fox then labelled them “paedophiles,” leading to successful libel claims by Blake and Seymour in 2024.
Lord Justice Warby ruled that the tweets describing Fox as a racist caused serious harm to his reputation, overturning the earlier dismissal of his counter-claims. The court also reduced the damages Fox must pay to Blake and Seymour from £90,000 to £45,000 each, deeming the original sums “manifestly excessive.” However, the appeal judges upheld the finding that Fox had libelled the two men.
Following the ruling, Fox said he was “cancelled” from his acting career and expressed hope that the decision would deter others from making “that horrible allegation.” He added, “I hope it plays a part in putting free speech exactly back where it belongs, at the cornerstone of any free society.”
