Steve Coogan said his film about the discovery of the remains of Richard III was ‘the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did’ after he and two production companies settled a High Court libel claim over the portrayal of a university academic.
The High Court heard earlier on Monday that Coogan, his production company Baby Cow, and Pathe Productions had agreed to pay ‘substantial damages’ over the portrayal of Richard Taylor in the 2022 film, The Lost King, after Taylor had sued for libel.
The film follows Philippa Langley and her search to find the Plantagenet king’s skeleton, which was discovered in a Leicester car park in 2012, more than 500 years after his death.
In June last year, Judge Jaron Lewis ruled that the 2022 film portrayed Taylor, who was deputy registrar at the University of Leicester at the time of the discovery, as having ‘knowingly misrepresented facts to the media and the public’ about the find.
The judge also said the film portrayed Taylor as ‘smug, unduly dismissive and patronising’, which had a defamatory meaning.
The case was due to proceed to trial, but lawyers for Taylor told a hearing on Monday that the parties had settled the claim.
Now Alan Partridge comedian Steve has spoken out following the settlement, saying The Lost King was ‘the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did’.
Later on Monday, Langley had said she had intended to appear as a witness for the defendants at a trial of the libel action, but was unable to do so due to ill health, adding: ‘It has been the most significant honour to have my story told by Pathe, Baby Cow and Steve Coogan.’
In a statement to the PA news agency on Monday, Steve said: ‘Further to Philippa’s own statement, it is unfortunate that due to her ill health, we were unable to put evidence before the court so that the judge could independently come to a decision on the matter, which I would have preferred.
‘Philippa Langley instigated the search for Richard III. Philippa Langley insisted on the dig in the northern area of the social services car park where the remains were found. Philippa Langley raised the majority of the money for his exhumation.
‘If it wasn’t for Philippa Langley, Richard III would still be lying under a car park in Leicester. It is her name that will be remembered in relation to the discovery of the lost king, long after Richard Taylor has faded into obscurity.
‘As already stated, the only changes to the film will be a front card, which will follow the existing card, which says that this film is a true story, Philippa Langley’s story. That is the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did.’
Reading out a statement in court, William Bennett KC, for Taylor, said: ‘Mr Taylor contended that the depiction of him in this untrue way in the film caused serious harm to his professional and personal reputations and caused enormous distress and embarrassment to him.
‘The defendants have now settled Taylor’s claim in the libel against them for the publication of the film by paying him substantial damages.
‘Furthermore, they have agreed to make changes to the film in order to withdraw the allegations complained of and to pay him his legal costs.’
Concluding the hearing, Justice Collins Rice said: ‘These were momentous historical events and finding yourself represented in a feature film about them must be an unsettling experience, even in the best of circumstances.
‘I hope that this very clear statement and the settlement… will help Mr Taylor put this particular experience behind him.
‘It is much to the credit of both parties and their legal teams that the huge expense, stress and delay of a trial have been avoided in this case.’
Bennett said in the statement that Langley ’caused the remains to be found by driving forward a project to search for them’ in the car park in Leicester city centre.
He continued that the University of Leicester played a ‘crucial role in providing funds and academic expertise’ for the project, with Taylor the ‘key co-ordinator of the university’s involvement’.
Coogan, Baby Cow and Pathe were not represented and did not attend.
In a joint statement following the hearing, they said: ‘As a distributor and producer recognised for bringing complex, real-life stories to audiences, we are deeply aware of the responsibility that comes with such portrayals and approach each project with care, integrity, and a commitment to authenticity.
‘We remain incredibly proud of this film and are pleased this matter has now been settled.
‘As part of the agreement, no material editorial changes will be made to the film beyond an onscreen clarification at the beginning of the film.’
The statement continued that the on-screen clarification would follow an existing card, which says: ‘Based on a true story. Her story.’
Steve previously said Langley’s discovery, the credit for which was largely taken by the university on it making global news, made her story a ‘great injustice’.
‘The university’s version of events had been swallowed and accepted hook line and sinker by the establishment,’ he said in an interview.
‘And when I heard her story, I was incensed, because she didn’t have any letters after her name or papers published, that her version of events was deemed not really credit-worthy.
‘I was determined to attempt with Jeff (Pope) to right that, and, as it were, give the final piece of her jigsaw puzzle.’
The clarification will state that the portrayal of Taylor in the film is ‘fictional and does not represent the actions of the real Mr Taylor’, and will say that he ‘acted with integrity during the events portrayed’.
Taylor said following the hearing that the outcome represented ‘success and vindication’ after ‘a long and gruelling battle’.
Speaking to the PA news agency, he said that he felt ‘cross’ and ‘completely helpless’ when the film was released.
He said: ‘There have been moments over the last three years when I thought, when Philippa Langley approached me for the university’s support, I perhaps should have put the request in the bin, but I didn’t, and I think I was right not to do that
‘It was a fantastic piece of academic work involving volunteers, involving the Richard III Society, involving academics, from many, many universities, on an international scale.
‘I think it’s a truly remarkable discovery, a really strong piece of teamwork.’
Following the settlement, Daniel Jennings, defamation partner at law firm Shakespeare Martineau, who represented Taylor, said the case was a ‘defamation David and Goliath moment’ and that the portrayal was ‘damaging, harmful and untrue’.
He said: ‘Individuals often feel unable to speak up against large corporations and well-known personalities, but this win demonstrates that there is recourse when wrongs have been committed.’
He continued: ‘It’s been a long battle for Mr Taylor, which has ended successfully; however, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the shine has been taken off what should have been a moment of celebration for one of the country’s greatest archaeological discoveries.’
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