Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Rep Has Harsh Words for Claims Car Chase Was PR Stunt

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's representative blasted claims that their paparazzi car chase in Manhattan was a public relations stunt, calling that idea "abhorrent." Markle and Harry's office described the chase as a "near catastrophic" incident caused by "a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," and claimed they were pursued for two hours. Since then, the couple's version of events has come under question, with some criticizing the initial statement as overdramatic.

"Respectfully, considering the duke's family history, one would have to think nothing of the couple or anybody associated with them to believe this was any sort of P.R. stunt," Harry and Markle's rep, Ashley Hansen, told the New York Times on May 19, referring to the 1997 death of Harry's mother, Princess Diana, in a Paris car crash. "Quite frankly, I think that's abhorrent."

Markle and Harry were in Manhattan on May 16 with Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, to watch the former actress receive an honor at the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards. After leaving the Zigfield Ballroom, the three were allegedly "involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," their rep claimed. "This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD officers."

Later, New York City Marot Eric Adams confirmed that two officers could have been injured in the incident and that photographers were "reckless and irresponsible." However, he found it "hard to believe" that a two-hour speed chase could happen in the traffic-packed, tight streets of Midtown. In their own statement, the NYPD said photographers made their "transport challenging," but confirmed there were "no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests" in connection with the incident.

At one point in the chase, Markle, Harry, and Ragland were in a taxi driven by Sukhcharn Singh. The driver told The Washington Post they were being followed by paparazzi, but he never felt unsafe. "I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn't like a car chase in a movie," Singh told the Post. "They were quiet and seemed scared but it's New York – it's safe."

Meanwhile, Harry and Markle's attempts to get photo agency Backgird to hand over footage from the incident went nowhere. "In America, as I'm sure you know, property belongs to the owner of it: Third parties cannot just demand it be given to them, as perhaps Kings can do," the agency said in a statement. "Perhaps you should sit down with your client and advise them that his English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown were rejected by this country long ago. We stand by our founding fathers."