Hugh Grant wins court ruling in hacking scandal
Hugh Grant might be a bit of an absentee father, but he doesn't want the paparazzi anywhere near his baby or her mother. Reuters

As of Friday, any reporter or photographer found to be harassing Tinglan Hong -- who gave birth to Hugh Grant's daughter in September -- could land in jail.

Ms. Hong was granted an injunction that forbids paparazzi from using aggressive tactics to obtain photos and information about Ms. Hong and her family. According to the Guardian, anyone harassing Hong, or aiding in her harassment, could face fines and/or jail time and could have their assets frozen.

Today's injunction stops paparazzi pursing her, doorstepping her, harassing her, following her or putting her under surveillance, Hong's lawyer Mark Thompson told the Guardian.

As a result of the injunction, photographers must remain at least 100 meters from Hong's home, and are forbidden from photographing her when she is with family or friends. Photographers are also forbidden from entering any private property to photograph her, and cannot pursue her if she is already being pursued by another photographer.

The means that some of these photographers have used to get pictures for the tabloids are utterly appalling, Thompson told the Guardian.

Hong has been the subject of media scrutiny since she was first spotted with Grant in early 2011, and has been literally under siege since the newspapers announced the birth, Thompson said.

Hugh Grant is genuinely worried. He wants his child to be protected, Thompson continued. It's outrageous behaviour [on the part of the press].

Grant has been active in initiatives to end what he calls the culture of privacy intrusion among tabloid reporters. He was the face of the Hacked Off campaign to fight phone hacking this summer, and has advocated for regulation of media tactics.

Speculation that Tinglan Hong was pregnant began in April 2011, when News of the World reported that Ting had been spotted with a baby bump, according to Heatworld.com.

An unnamed source reportedly told News of the World that Grant and Hong were enjoying each other's company but were not expected to get too serious.

Hugh and Ting have grown increasingly close in recent months. They see each other most days and she's a big part of his life. But watch out, he's still a free spirit, the source reportedly said. Ting's a lovely girl, smart and very attractive. She and Hugh love spending time together. But as ever he's a very difficult man to nail down. And although they're increasingly close, Ting's aware that he still goes out with other girls. Yes, he sees Ting all the time, but it's normally on his terms - at his house or bars and restaurants nearby. Hugh has always been a bit of a commitment-phobe. He just loves doing his own thing.

Much has been made of the statement Grant's publicist made after his daughter was born.

I can confirm that Hugh Grant is the delighted father of a baby girl, the rep told Reuters. He and the mother had a fleeting affair and while this was not planned, Hugh could not be happier or more supportive.

According to the Daily Mail, Grant was not present at the birth of his daughter but briefly visited with mother and child the day after she was born -- for a whole half hour -- before heading to a golf tournament.

The Daily Mail has since reported that Hugh Grant's cousin purchased a $1.9 million home for Hong and her daughter, about a mile from Grant's London residence.