David Furnish has issued a fierce rebuke of Associated Newspapers Ltd.

Appearing at the High Court in London, Elton John’s husband described the alleged phone hacking carried out by the Daily Mail’s publisher as an “abomination” that made his family feel deeply violated.

In a detailed witness statement, Furnish spoke openly about the emotional impact of the alleged intrusion. He said he and John were targeted by private investigators hired by the newspaper, who he claims accessed landlines and listened to voicemail messages in order to chase what he described as “narrow-minded” stories.

“To know that they were enabled to do this to us through stolen information is an abomination,” Furnish said.

The couple are among a group of high-profile figures, including Prince Harry, who are seeking to hold the tabloid publisher to account.

Furnish’s evidence describes a media company he believes acted without ethical boundaries. For years, he said, he assumed leaks of their private details came from careless friends or members of staff.

He explained that he only realised the truth when he learned the information had allegedly been gathered through an organised spying operation, following a phone call from close friend Elizabeth Hurley in 2021.

“We are very grateful that Elizabeth called us,” Furnish wrote.

“If she hadn't, we wouldn't know what had happened and would never have known that the law had been broken and our private home and private lives barged into.”

Furnish and John are among seven individuals taking legal action against the publisher of The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday over alleged breaches of privacy.

Associated Newspapers Ltd has rejected the claims, calling them “groundless” and insisting the stories were obtained lawfully through public sources and legitimate contacts.