The mother of the Fulham-based actor’s daughter gave evidence at the Leveson Inquiry today.
The mother of Hugh Grant’s baby revealed to the Leveson Inquiry today her life has been made ‘unbearable’ by press hounding.
Evidence that Grant and Ting Lan Hong, who met at a Chinese restaurant, Bayee Village, in Wimbledon, were victimised for his speaking out against hackers was heard throughout this week.
The evidence dramatically turns the phone-hacking inquiry into to an inquest into press bullying behaviour as well.
Lawyer David Sherborne said: “It became so nasty that when her mother tried to get evidence of the identity of one paparazzo in a car, he then tried to run her over.”
The Inquiry heard that the police have became involved.
One week ago Mr Sherborne made an emergency application for an injunction on behalf of Miss Hong.
The Fulham-based actor campaigned against phone hacking in July and signed a petition outside the Houses of Parliament calling for a full public inquiry.
Speaking on the BBC’s Question Time in July, Grant said: “It is insane to me that the tabloid press has been left unregulated all this time.”
The inquiry also heard that during that Question Time, Miss Hong received a barrage of phone calls from a withheld number.
When answered, the caller said: “Tell Hugh Grant he must shut the f*** up.”
Mr Sherborne, speaking on behalf of Grant and 51 other alleged victims, told the inquiry that his clients ‘all have a fear, a very real fear’ that they will be vilified by the press for speaking against their practices.
He said Grant could deal with the press admirably but finds the treatment of his former girlfriend and new baby daughter, who never courted press attention, very difficult.
“It is routine fare for newspapers to rubbish privacy claimants or so-called whingeing celebrities,” Mr Sherborne said.
“In one of the curtain raisers for this Inquiry, for example, the Daily Mail wrote as follows: ‘The Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking will ask core participants to give evidence.
“The line-up looks set to include the get your clothes off model Abi Titmuss, S&M spanker Max Mosely, prostitute procurer Hugh Grant, gold digger Cheryl Gascoigne, John ‘pants down’ Prescott and the rent boy loving former MP Mark Oaten’.”
Grant is to give his own evidence at the Inquiry.
