Laurence Fox loses libel battle with Twitter users he called paedophiles

The actor and rightwing activist Laurence Fox has lost a high court libel battle with two men he called paedophiles after they called him a racist.

The former actor defamed the men when he used the slur on social media, Mrs Justice Collins Rice has ruled.

The Reclaim party founder was sued by Simon Blake, a former Stonewall trustee, and Crystal, a drag artist, over a dispute on Twitter, now X, in October 2020.

Fox, 45, called Blake and the former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant, whose real name is Colin Seymour, paedophiles in an exchange about a decision by Sainsbury’s to provide a safe space for black employees during Black History Month.

Fox’s call for a boycott of the supermarket had prompted claims by Blake, Seymour and Nicola Thorp, a former Coronation Street actor, that he was a racist.

Fox counter-sued, telling the high court that being accused of racism was a “reputation-destroying allegation” and “career-ending”. His claims were dismissed on Monday.

More details soon …