Stephen Fry is suing two companies that organised a tech conference where he was injured in 2023 after falling off the stage, high court documents show.
The actor and presenter broke his hip and sustained multiple breaks to his right leg, pelvis and ribs when he attended the CogX festival at the O2 Arena on 14 September 2023, where he delivered a talk on artificial intelligence.
Court documents reveal he is bringing a claim for damages against CogX Festival Ltd and Blonstein Events, alleging the incident was caused by negligence and breach of statutory duty in failing to ensure the stage and backstage area were safe, adequately lit and properly protected against a fall from height. The claim seeks up to £100,000 for personal injuries and consequential losses.
A spokesperson for CogX Festival Ltd said: 'We are unable to comment while the legal process is ongoing, but we were all deeply concerned when Stephen had the accident … and we continue to send him our best wishes for a full recovery.' Blonstein Events has not yet been formally served with the claim; a statement from the company expressed confidence that its defence would be successful, asserting it was in no way responsible for the incident.
Speaking about the fall to BBC Radio 2, Fry said: 'I did my bow after delivering this lecture, turned to go off stage and didn’t realise that I was walking off a part of the stage where there was nothing. Six-foot drop on to concrete.' He praised his luck that he did not injure his spine or skull, and thanked the NHS for his treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
