Chazzy Blog Chazzynet Trending Blog
The Sun has paid compensation to England cricketer Ben Stokes and his mother after the newspaper publicized a story that revealed a family tragedy.
Deborah Stokes took legal action over the September 2019 front-page article, saying it exposed private details that were not in the public interest.
The Sun at first defended the story, but has now pleaded with the family for causing “great pain”.
“We should not have published the article,” read The Sun’s statement.
“We pleaded with Deborah and Ben Stokes. We have concurred to pay them damages and their legal costs.”
In 2019, The Sun told the BBC it had received the co-operation of a Stokes family member and added the events explained in the story were “a matter of public record” and “the subject of extensive front-page publicity in New Zealand at the time”.
Stokes was born in New Zealand and moved to Cumbria with his family aged 12.
At the time, he described the article as “utterly disgusting” and the “lowest form of journalism”.
“The decision to publish this article was a decision to reveal, and to profit from exposing intensely private and painful issues within our family,” expressed Deborah Stokes.
“The damage caused to our family by the publication of this article is something we cannot let off.
“Ben and I can derive no joy in concluding this settlement with The Sun.
“We can only hope that our actions in holding the paper to an account will make history and one that will help in stopping other families from having to pass through the same pain as was inflicted on our family by this piece.”
In July, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) mentioned Stokes was to “take an indefinite break from all cricket instantly” to prioritize his mental wellbeing and rest his wounded finger.
