After losing a defamation case, the previously anonymous operator of the online gossip forum known as Tattle Life has been identified as Sebastian Bond, also known as Bastian Durward. Reports confirm that an Irish couple successfully sued the publisher, unveiling his true identity.

Tattle Life positions itself as a platform for commentary and critiques of individuals who commercialize their personal lives and share them with the public. With a monthly visitor count of up to 12 million, the majority of its traffic comes from the UK.

The website has faced criticism for hosting threads filled with toxic and hateful comments. At the high court of justice in Northern Ireland, Mr. Justice Colton disclosed that Bond, along with his companies Yuzu Zest Limited and Kumquat Tree Limited, were the publishers of Tattle Life. Bond had been using the alias "Helen McDougal" on the site.

Known online as a vegan cooking influencer and author of the book Nest and Glow, Bond has an Instagram account with 135,000 followers. The plaintiffs in the defamation case, Neil and Donna Sands, were awarded £300,000 in damages against the operators of Tattle Life in late 2023. The Sands, who run the clothing brand Sylkie and an AI business, were targeted with defamatory and harassing content on the forum.

Mr. Justice McAlinden described the website as a profit-driven platform that thrives on spreading falsehoods. He criticized the site for enabling individuals to profit from defaming others while concealing their identities.

Following the court ruling, the Sands released a statement on Instagram condemning Tattle Life for allowing users to defame, harass, and attack others online under the guise of anonymity. They revealed Bond's true identity as Sebastian Henry Bond, also known as Bastian Durward.

The Sands detailed their experience of being subjected to defamatory and harassing comments in a lengthy thread that was eventually taken down last month. In 2023, the court issued orders to track and freeze assets belonging to Bond, who had previously operated anonymously.

Peter Barr, a partner at Gateley NI law firm representing the Sands, emphasized the global effort involved in uncovering Bond's assets across various jurisdictions. The investigation spanned the UK and Hong Kong, utilizing legal strategies and digital evidence to expose the sophisticated scheme to evade detection.