FOSTER’S ‘DISTRESS’ AT FALSE MEDIA RUMOURS
DUP leader tells high court of upset over ‘affair’ tweet by celebrity doctor
ARLENE Foster yesterday described the “distressing” impact a tweet of an unsubstantiated rumour by a celebrity doctor had on her and her family.
A libel hearing at the High Court in Belfast heard how Dr Christian Jessen tweeted on December 23, 2019, that the North’s First Minister had had an affair.
The DUP leader told the court it came at a particularly stressful time when she was involved in talks to resurrect the power-sharing government at Stormont.
Mrs Foster said: “I think the attack on me personally and my marriage was meant to destabilise me at a very critical time.
“It was meant to destabilise me and thereby destabilise the negotiations as well. I have no proof of that but I just think the timing of it is very significant.”
Mrs Foster added she had to sit down with her two elder children – then aged 17 and 19 – as well as her elderly mother, then aged 85, and assure them the rumour was untrue.
She also had to speak to her husband. Mrs Foster said: “Having to speak to my husband and explain to him what had happened – because this gentleman has a large following, so this was going to go quite far and wide – it was very humiliating, I have to say, to see that the relationship that is most important to me had been trashed, if you like, and got put out there in the public domain in that fashion.”
Mrs Foster explained the rumours went further, including she had moved out of the family home and was living in a hotel, her husband was living in a hotel, and the family had broken down.
The First Minister said: “Those closest to me of course knew that it wasn’t true but they were asked questions by other people.”
The court heard Dr Jessen responded to an email from Mrs Foster’s solicitor and removed the tweet on January 7.
However, he has “completely ignored” correspondence since.
David Ringland QC, acting for Mrs Foster, told the court: “I suspected he [Dr Jessen] had more service than anybody in the history of these courts in terms of the number and manner of service.
“In terms of the service of each of these steps, the same approach has been taken by the defendant as he has taken to every aspect of this case – in other words, head in the sand, completely ignoring, not responding.” Mr Justice Mcalinden said he will write up a decision “as soon as possible”.
He added: “Obviously I am going to have to reserve my decision in this case and give a written judgment.
“I will try to get that dealt with as quickly as possible because I think this has been hanging over Mrs Foster long enough.
“The defendant’s approach to this matter has extended the time during which it is hanging over her head, so I will attempt to deal with this matter as a matter of urgency, but it will take some time to ensure I deal with it properly.”
This has hung over Mrs Foster for long enough JUDGE MCALINDEN BELFAST YESTERDAY