Meghan Markle and Prince Harry do not seem appeased by The Sun‘s apology for columnist Jeremy Clarkson’s “deeply misogynist” article about the Duchess of Sussex. The article, which was published on Dec. 16, received intense backlash after Clarkson admitted to hating Markle “on a cellular level,” prompting an official apology from The Sun in addition to the media personality.
A spokesperson for Markle and Harry was quick to call out The Sun and Clarkson’s apologies as nothing more than damage control. “The fact that The Sun has not contacted The Duchess of Sussex to apologize shows their intent. This is nothing more than a PR stunt,” the spokesperson’s statement to PEOPLE read. “While the public absolutely deserves the publication’s regrets for their dangerous comments, we wouldn’t be in this situation if The Sun did not continue to profit off of and exploit hate, violence and misogyny,” they continued. “A true apology would be a shift in their coverage and ethical standards for all. Unfortunately, we’re not holding our breath.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
Clarkson’s column about Markle sparked waves of backlash after he wrote of his hatred for the Duchess, even clumsily referencing a famous scene from Game of Thrones. “At night, I’m unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her,” he wrote.
The article even sparked condemnation from Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London. “As Jeremy Clarkson should well know – words have consequences. The words in his piece are no joke – they’re dangerous and inexcusable,” the mayor tweeted. “We are in an epidemic of violence against women and girls and men with powerful voices must do better than this.”
Clarkson has since apologized, acknowledging that his column “has gone down badly with a great many people” on Twitter. “I’m horrified to have caused so much hurt and I shall be more careful in future,” he added. The Sun also issued an official apology Friday: “Columnists’ opinions are their own, but as a publisher, we realize that with free expression comes responsibility. We at The Sun regret the publication of this article and we are sincerely sorry.”
