Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Were Involved in A ‘Near Catastrophic’ Car Chase With Paparazzi
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were involved in a “near catastrophic” car chase involving paparazzi in New York City last night, their spokesperson says.
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, was also traveling with them.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in town for the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision Awards, where Meghan was honored last night. After the ceremony, they were involved in a “relentless pursuit” that lasted “over two hours” and led to “multiple near collisions,” their rep says. They were on their way back to a friend’s private residence, where they were staying, when the incident occurred, according to People.
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The spokesperson said in a statement, per Variety, “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.”
“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the rep added.
People reports that “half a dozen blacked out vehicles pursued their car, running red lights, reversing down a one-way street, driving on the sidewalk, driving while on the phone and taking photographs in their attempts to take photos of the couple and Doria.”
Harry and Meghan stepped down from their senior royal roles in 2020 and eventually relocated to California. Since their exit from the Palace, they’ve discussed that prioritizing their family’s privacy and safety amid media scrutiny and harassment was part of the reason why they did so.
Tuesday night’s car chase is especially poignant considering Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, died in a car accident while being chased by paparazzi over 25 years ago. He even said during an interview with Oprah Winfrey that his biggest fear before renouncing royal duties was “history repeating itself,” especially with all the harsh media attention on Meghan.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.
