Stephen Fry sues event organizers for $135K after 6-feet fall
30 Apr 2026

British broadcaster, actor, and author Stephen Fry has filed a personal injury lawsuit against tech conference organizers CogX Festival Ltd and Blonstein Events Ltd.

The suit comes after he suffered serious injuries at the CogX convention in London's O2 arena in September 2023.

Fry claims to have broken his leg, hip, pelvis, and several ribs when he fell off the stage while exiting after delivering a keynote address.

The 68-year-old is suing for $1,35,285.7 (£1,00,000) in damages.

Fry's injuries detailed in court documents
Injury report

Court documents reveal that Fry's injuries were sustained when he fell about two meters or over six feet from the stage to the concrete floor below.

The documents allege negligence and/or breach of statutory duty by the defendants in ensuring a safe environment.

Fry himself had described the incident on Claudia Winkleman's BBC Radio 2 show, saying he didn't realize "that I was walking off the part of the stage where there was nothing - just a 6ft drop."

Response to the claims
Official statement

In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for CogX Festival Ltd expressed concern over Fry's accident but said they couldn't comment further due to ongoing legal proceedings. The spokesperson also wished him a speedy recovery.

Blonstein Events Ltd, named as a defendant in the claim, said they hadn't been formally notified of any court proceedings yet. Company director Sara Blonstein stated that if served, they were confident their defense would be successful since they weren't responsible for this incident.

Defendants don't accept Fry's account of events
Legal representation

Fry is being represented by lawyer Keith Barrett from Fieldfisher, per the BBC.

Barrett said it was unfortunate that court proceedings were necessary. He revealed that it became so because the defendants do not accept Fry's account of events, and they "have had to ask the court to determine who is responsible for his injury and losses."