The mother of Boris Johnson’s three-year-old child from an extra-marital affair has lost her legal appeal that the paternity of her daughter should be kept a secret.
Outed in The Daily Mail in July 2010, Helen Macintyre, a professional art consultant and mistress to Boris Johnson during a brief affair, bid a privacy injunction against the newspaper, but today lost her battle as the courts deemed Johnson’s “reckless behaviour” in the public interest during the time they considered him for public office.
This move could have a big impact on future rulings in regards to the privacy rights of public figures in England and Wales, with the court of appeal stating: “It is not in dispute that the legitimate public interest in the father’s character is an important factor to be weighed in the balance against the claimant’s expectation of privacy.”
This is claimed to be the second illegitimate child Boris has fathered outside of the marriage to his long-suffering wife Marina. We suggest Johnson wrap his, er, johnson in future.
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