Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Claimed To Be Chased By The Paparazzi In New York—But The NYPD And Witnesses Tell A Different Story
May 23, 2023 by Maria Pierides
There have been a lot of conflicting stories regarding what Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have described as a “near catastrophic” car chase with “a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” after they attended the Ms Foundation’s 2023 Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, on Tuesday, May 16th in New York. The Duchess of Sussex, 41, received an award from Gloria Steinem for her women’s rights work and empowerment advocacy, but the evening was somewhat overshadowed by the events that followed after they left the ceremony.
According to The Independent, six blacked-out vehicles with unidentified people driving “recklessly” were surrounding their vehicle, and the couple reportedly feared the pursuit could have been fatal. On Wednesday, May 17th, New York Mayor Eric Adams condemned the photographers for being “reckless and irresponsible,” adding that it would be “horrific” for the Spare author, 38, to be involved in an accident similar to the one that killed his mother, the late Princess Diana, in Paris in 1997.
According to The Guardian, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said on Wednesday, May 17th: “Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi. This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”
“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement continued. “Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s lawyers have since asked for entertainment picture agency Backgrid, who reportedly had some of its freelance photographers involved in the alleged chase, to hand over the footage that was taken, but the BBC reports that they have turned down the request.
Backgrid did, however, issue an official statement following the incident, and said: “We understand that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s security detail had a job to do, and we respect their work. We do, however, want to point out that according to the photographers present, there were no near-collisions or near-crashes during this incident. The photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in immediate danger at any point.”