Earl Spencer’s estranged wife has settled her bitter privacy battle with his new girlfriend – but he will have to foot part of the hefty legal bill.
Countess Karen Spencer has been embroiled in a lengthy High Court row with her husband’s new partner Cat Jarman, 43, who accused her of disclosing her private medical information.
The 53-year-old has agreed to settle the privacy case – without accepting liability – on the agreement that the Earl will ‘indemnify’ her as part of their high stakes divorce settlement.
While the explosive row between the two women is estimated to have racked up costs of as much as £2.2million, the Earl will now have to pick up a large portion of the tab.
Prof Jarman, who has been dating the 61-year-old Earl, for more than a year, issued the claim in the High Court last October.
The Norwegian archaeologist accused the countess of disclosing that she had multiple sclerosis, which she later alleged, forced her to reveal her diagnosis publicly to end gossip online.
In July, a court heard that both parties had reached an agreement on future estimated legal costs amounting to more than £2.2million.
But the countess has now agreed to settle after following the advice of an arbitrator overseeing her divorce from the Earl which is thought to be in its final stages.
In court documents the arbitrator states he wanted to bring the ‘financial liabilities of proceedings between Prof. Jarman to an end’ in order to finalise the terms of the divorce.
‘…which I did by financially incentivising, effectively requiring Lord Spencer to indemnify, Lady’s Spencer’s acceptance of the Part 36 Offer,’ he added.
The total cost to be paid by the Earl is said to be ‘hotly disputed’ between the former couple who are yet to agree on how the final sum should be calculated, according to the documents.
A spokesperson for Countess Spencer said: ‘Countess Spencer confirms that the legal proceedings brought against her by Cat Jarman have been resolved in an agreed settlement.
‘Countess Spencer considers her position to have been fully vindicated. There was no admission of liability or wrongdoing and Earl Spencer has been ordered to pay the legal costs, which are in excess of £2million together with £4,500 in damages to be paid to his girlfriend Cat Jarman.
‘Countess Spencer sincerely hopes this will mark the end of the matter.’
However, Professor Jarman claimed the settlement as vindication of her legal action.
‘I brought my privacy claim after my private medical information was shared without my consent.
‘As someone living with Multiple Sclerosis, I have the unquestionable right to decide when and how to share such sensitive details.
‘Pursuing the claim was a necessary and principled step to protect that right, as well as my career and livelihood.
‘The matter has now been resolved after the other party chose to settle the claim, and I regard that outcome as a clear vindication of my decision to take action.
‘I am relieved to be able to move forward and glad the other side saw sense in bringing this matter to a close, sparing everyone further distress.
‘I acted on principle and to defend my privacy at a time when it had been seriously violated,’ she added.
In court documents related to the case, the countess accused her husband of having had an affair with Dr Jarman, who was digging for a Roman villa at his Althorp ancestral home.
In her defence, Countess Spencer said in legal documents that her disclosures were ‘entirely justified and legitimate’ given the way she was treated.
The Canadian-born social entrepreneur became Spencer’s third wife in 2011, and they have an 11-year-old daughter, Lady Charlotte Diana.
She was informed by the earl on March 19 last year that ‘their marriage was over after almost 13 years’.
‘He did this by text message’, her defence papers said, adding: ‘Having given up her life in the United States, in order to live in the middle of rural Northamptonshire and dedicate herself to sorting out the Althorp Estate business, as well having a child, the news was hideous for Lady Spencer.’
When Countess Spencer compared notes with Dr Jarman’s ex husband, Tom Jarman, ‘she discovered that their affair had been going on since at least November/December 2022 when the two of them were together in Norfolk (although more likely since 2021)’, the defence stated.
During the dig, the archaeologist and her team had been staying on the Althorp estate and dining at the house.
The earl – who has been married three times and has had a well-documented colourful love life – and the countess announced their split last June, and he publicly confirmed his relationship with Dr Jarman in October.
In his girlfriend’s legal claim against his wife she alleges that she was shocked when the countess revealed her private information to him.
In a interview with the Daily Mail, Dr Jarman said: ‘I have worked very hard indeed to keep my MS hidden, as should be my prerogative.
‘So only a handful of people have known – and Charles wasn’t one of them.
‘I’d been seeing him, romantically, for only two months or three months, and still hadn’t told him. It’s hard, isn’t it, knowing when you reveal something like that.
‘Some people do from the off, but I chose not to. And I stress that it was my choice. Your medical history is the most private thing.’
She alleges that Spencer’s wife ‘found out from someone close to me’ and ‘in the course of a conversation about whether I had been having an affair with her husband – which I can categorically say I had not been, we were very much just friends and colleagues until after the marriage had ended – Karen learned that I have MS.
‘It was also confirmed to her that this was not something that was widely known. And yet she then went to Charles and said: ‘You do know she has MS, don’t you?’.’
The Earl has previously denied ending his marriage by text and insisted it was his wife who wanted a divorce – dismissing her claims as an ‘attempt to blacken’ his name.
Read more
- Is Cat Jarman’s legal case against Countess Karen over private data destined to fuel the scandalous parting drama with Charles Spencer?
- Why did Professor Cat Jarman find herself in a whirlwind of allegations amidst Earl Spencer’s divorce saga?
- Did Earl Spencer’s estranged wife deliberately expose a deeply personal secret about his new love, Dr. Cat Jarman?
- Did Earl Spencer really dump his ‘helpless and confused’ wife Karen via a cold-hearted text message, sparking a sensational High Court privacy battle?
- Will Earl Spencer’s girlfriend’s £2m lawsuit unveil hidden secrets in their privacy battle?
