Rupert Murdoch’s son Lachlan ‘accused brother James of leaking lines to Succession writers’

A source close to Lachlan denied sensational claim in new report

A new report has claimed that Rupert Murdoch’s son Lachlan accused his brother, James, of leaking lines to the writers of Succession.

The acclaimed HBO series focuses on a corporate power struggle between ailing Murdoch-esque media mogul Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and his children.

While the show’s creators have often played down any direct parallels to real-life people or events, viewers have drawn numerous comparisons between the Roys and the Murdochs.

A recent episode, for instance, saw Logan stand on paper boxes to deliver an impassioned speech to the staff at his Fox News-like TV network ATN. The moment bore close similarities to a real incident from 2007, when Murdoch stood on paper boxes to address staff at the Wall Street Journal.

A new feature on the Murdochs for Vanity Fair cites a source claiming that Lachlan accused James of leaking stories to the writers of Succession. Lachlan then told Rupert.

However, another source close to Lachlan denied that he told his father this.

The Independent has contacted representatives of Rupert, James and Lachlan Murdoch for comment.

In the same Vanity Fair feature, it is claimed that Rupert told his fourth wife, Jerry Hall, that their marriage was over via an email message.

Brian Cox as Logan Roy in ‘Succession’ (HBO)

The 92-year-old tycoon agreed a divorce settlement with Hall back in August 2022. The pair had been together for six years.

An email from Rupert, obtained by the magazine as a screenshot, began: “Jerry, sadly I’ve decided to call an end to our marriage. We have certainly had some good times, but I have much to do… My New York lawyer will be contacting yours immediately.”

Earlier this month, it was reported that Rupert had “called off” his engagement to former dental hygienist Ann Lesley Smith.