An anonymous celebrity loses UK court bid to block reports of alleged
sexual misconduct
[November 04, 2026]
By SYLVIA HUI
LONDON (AP) — An unidentified celebrity lost a bid Tuesday for a U.K.
court injunction to block two news organizations from publishing sexual
misconduct allegations against him.
Lawyers for Independent Television News and the Guardian newspaper's
publisher told the High Court last month that the allegations they
wanted to publish were about the man's “abuse of power and status” and
his attempts to contact a number of young women to engage them in
“inappropriate sexual activity.”
The celebrity denies wrongdoing and has repeatedly said he intended to
take his own life if the allegations were published, according to the
judgment.
The man's lawyer, Sara Mansoori, earlier told the court that he had made
a suicide attempt when he received letters from ITN and Guardian News
and Media seeking his response to the allegations. He later made another
attempt, she said, and he was recently admitted to the hospital for
psychiatric care.
The case has drawn widespread attention in Britain because it highlights
questions over public figures' right to privacy and what media can
report on the basis of public interest.
Gavin Millar, representing the media companies, has said that the
allegations were gathered after “a wide-ranging and rigorous
investigation” and that there was a strong public interest in publishing
them.
“The defendants allege that, over a period of years, the claimant used
his status and influence as a well-known public figure to establish
contact with young women, some considerably younger than him, and that
he engaged or sought to engage in seriously inappropriate conduct,”
according to a summary of Tuesday's judgment.
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 Some of the alleged conduct could
amount to criminal offenses if proven, it said.
Justice Matthew Nicklin dismissed the man's injunction bid, saying
the legal measure would mean “an exceptionally serious interference”
with the rights of the media companies.
He noted that the man has a “serious and longstanding psychiatric
vulnerability" which must be taken seriously, and said a decision
allowing the allegations to be published will substantially increase
his risk of suicide. However, he added that the evidence does not
“establish that suicide is inevitable."
The man's statements are “not a reliable basis for concluding that
no future treatment or intervention could alter that risk,” the
judge said.
He ruled that the man should remain anonymous to allow him to appeal
the ruling.
Reporters Without Borders U.K. welcomed Tuesday's court decision,
saying the remaining restrictions should be lifted.
"While the risks of harm in this case of course must be taken
seriously, it is important that responsible journalism in the public
interest is allowed to proceed," the nonprofit said in a statement.
“Dangerous precedents can have impacts far beyond the cases that set
them, and neither wealth nor access to the best legal teams should
ever shield anyone from legitimate public scrutiny.”
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