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Laurence Fox wins retrial over 'racist' claim - but loses appeal over 'paedophiles' slur
Laurence Fox's claim for libel after being called a racist on social media will go to a retrial, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
However, the controversial actor-turned-activist failed to overturn a finding he libelled two people himself by calling them paedophiles. Fox was originally ordered to pay drag artist Crystal and Stonewall boss Simon Blake £90,000 each after losing the case last year.
He called them "paedophiles" during a row on X over Sainsbury's marking Black History Month in October 2020. Fox, 47, called for a boycott of the supermarket and was called a "racist" by Crystal and Mr Blake, as well as broadcaster Nicola Thorp.
It was then that he responded with the paedophiles slur. Fox counter-sued the pair and Ms Thorp over the tweets accusing him of racism.
He lost the claim, but the Court of Appeal said today it should go to a re-trial as the posts had caused serious harm to his reputation. It also halved the damages due to Mr Blake and Crystal - real name Colin Seymour - to £45,000 each, calling the original sum "manifestly excessive".
Lord Justice Warby said the approach of the original judge "was in some respects wrong in law in ways that are material to the outcome". Read more from Sky News:Neo-Nazis who plotted attacks on mosques and synagogues jailedBacklash over footballer's return after violence conviction Fox said in a video following the judgment that the racism claims had got him "cancelled entirely from a job I love" and called it a "long and sometimes dark five years".
Fox was best known for his role in Inspector Morse spin-off, Lewis. He also used to be a GB News presenter but was sacked after comments about a female journalist..
Amir Nisi
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