Laurence Fox Wins Retrial Over 'Racist' Claims but Loses Appeal on 'Paedophile' Libel Case
Laurence Fox is set to return to court after the Court of Appeal ruled that his libel claim against being labelled a "racist" on social media should be reconsidered.
The decision marks a partial win for the actor-turned-political figure, who had previously lost the case and been ordered to pay a hefty £180,000 in damages after branding drag artist Crystal (real name Colin Seymour) and Simon Blake, now the head of Stonewall, "paedophiles" during a heated online exchange.
The row kicked off in 2020 when Fox called for a boycott of Sainsbury’s over its support for Black History Month. In response, Crystal, Blake, and broadcaster Nicola Thorp called him a "racist" on social media. Fox fired back by accusing Crystal and Blake of being "paedophiles"—a move that triggered a libel suit against him.
In April 2024, the High Court ruled in favour of Blake and Seymour, awarding them £90,000 each in damages. Fox’s attempt to sue them—and Thorp—over the racism claims was rejected at the time. But on Friday, the Court of Appeal overturned that part of the ruling and ordered a retrial on whether calling Fox a "racist" amounted to libel. The Court also cut the damages he must pay to £45,000 each, calling the original sums “manifestly excessive.”
According to Lord Justice Warby, the original judge’s legal approach was flawed and “wrong in law in ways that are material to the outcome.” He added that the tweets calling Fox a racist had caused “serious harm” to his reputation and deserved fresh consideration in court.
However, Fox did not manage to overturn the finding that he had defamed Crystal and Blake by calling them paedophiles. That part of the original ruling still stands.
Reacting to the appeal verdict, Fox described the past five years as "long and sometimes dark," saying the racism accusations led to him being "cancelled entirely from the job I love." He was once known for his role in the TV series Lewis and later became a presenter at GB News, before being let go over separate controversial remarks.
Following the ruling, Fox posted a video on X, saying: “We don’t want to live in a country where conversations and careers are destroyed and shut down by that most appalling of slurs.” He added, “I hope now, in fact I know now, that people will think twice before making that horrible allegation again.”
With a retrial now on the horizon, Fox has another shot at clearing his name on one front—while still being held accountable for the damage caused on the other.
