Acclaimed actor, writer and broadcaster Stephen Fry has filed a personal injury lawsuit against CogX Festival Ltd and Blonstein Events Ltd, seeking up to £100,000 in damages, the Daily Mail reported, citing court documents. The claim arises from an incident on 14 September 2023, when Fry fell approximately two metres (six feet) from a stage onto a concrete floor at the CogX Festival, held at London's O2 Arena. The fall occurred backstage shortly after Fry had delivered a keynote speech on artificial intelligence at the technology conference. He sustained severe fractures, breaking his right leg in multiple places, his pelvis in four places, and several ribs, as he later recounted on BBC Radio 2.
Following the accident, Fry was hospitalised and required extensive medical treatment, the Daily Mail reported. He was seen using a walking stick for a period and spoke openly about his recovery on BBC Radio 2, where he described the impact the injuries had on his mobility and daily routine. The incident forced him to cancel numerous public commitments, and he was unable to walk unaided for some time.
It's very unfortunate that court proceedings were necessary, but the Defendants do not accept Sir Stephen's account of events, and we have had to ask the court to determine who is responsible for his injury and losses.
The legal filing, as reported by the Daily Mail, alleges that the fall resulted from negligence and/or a breach of statutory duty by the festival organisers and event management company. It states they failed to ensure the stage and backstage area were safe, properly lit, and adequately protected, without detailing further specifics of the alleged shortcomings. A spokesperson for CogX Festival Ltd said: 'We are unable to comment while the legal process is ongoing, but we were all deeply concerned when Stephen had the accident after giving his incredible speech on the Impact of AI, and we continue to send him our best wishes for a full recovery.' Blonstein Events Ltd, however, has denied that any court proceedings have been served on them by Fry or his representatives, and stated that it was confident any defence would be successful. Keith Barrett of Fieldfisher, the solicitor representing Fry, told the Daily Mail that the defendants do not accept his client's account of what happened, which has made court action necessary. No date has been set for the first hearing, and neither defendant has filed a formal defence as yet.