Amazon knocks out boxing film libel and privacy claims

Claims in libel and privacy brought by a mother over a documentary film about her daughter, double Olympic gold boxing champion Nicola Adams OBE, have today been dismissed.

Ms Adams’ mother claimed that aspects of the film ‘Lioness: The Nicola Adams Story’ libelled her by referring to offensive messages she had sent, and misused her private information, including by referring to domestic violence within her home. The High Court granted Amazon’s application for summary judgment on the claims, ruling that there was no real prospect of the star’s mother overcoming defences of truth and honest opinion, or of succeeding in her privacy claim. In the latter respect, the judgment of Deputy High Court Judge Susie Alegre focused on the extent to which the information complained of was already in the public domain, and on the importance of Ms Adams’ right to tell her own extraordinary life story.

5RB‘s Richard Munden, instructed by Mike Brookes of Lee and Thompson, acted for Amazon.

A full 5RB case report will follow.