NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Backgrid USA Inc, the paparazzi company at the center of the recent car chase incident involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has issued a response to accusations of "near-catastrophic" chase made by the Sussexes. The tragic incident occurred when Meghan Markle, her mother Doria Ragland, and Prince Harry were traveling from Manhattan after they left Ziegfeld Theater where the 'Suits' alum was honored at the Women of Vision Awards on Tuesday night, May 16 in New York City.
"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," said a rep for Prince Harry and Meghan. "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 rep added.
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However, in a statement, the company claimed that the four freelance photographers present during the incident had no intention of causing harm or distress to the former senior royals, and denied the occurrence of any near-collisions or near-crashes during the ordeal. "We are aware of Prince Harry's statement regarding an alleged "near catastrophic car chase" involving himself, Meghan Markle, and her mother, in New York City on Tuesday night," Backgrid USA Inc said.
"We want to clarify that we have received photos and videos of last night's events from four freelance photographers, three of whom were in cars and one of whom was riding a bicycle. It is important to note that these photographers have a professional responsibility to cover newsworthy events and personalities, including public figures such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. According to the accounts given by these freelance contributors," the statement added, "a few of the photos even show Meghan Markle smiling inside a cab."
'There were no near-collisions or near-crashes!'
The statement then shifted the blame to the Sussexes' own security, accusing "one of the four SUVs" from Harry's camp of "driving in a manner that could be perceived as reckless." "The vehicle was seen blocking off streets, and in one video, it is shown being pulled over by the police," Backgrid USA said. "We understand that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security detail had a job to do... We do, however, want to point out that according to the photographers present, there were no near-collisions or near-crashes during this incident."
A separate video posted by TMZ showed Harry and Meghan in a yellow New York City cab, stuck in traffic blocks away from their destination, with photographers recording them through the windows. The taxi was being escorted by NYPD vehicles with flashing lights. The cab driver, Sukhcharn Singh, described the drive as brief and stated that he never felt unsafe, even though they were followed by two cars. "I don't think I would call it a chase," Singh told The Washington Post. "I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn't like a car chase in a movie. They were quiet and seemed scared but it's New York — it's safe."
The New York Police Department (NYPD) also weighed in on the matter, referring to it as a "transport challenge" but noting that there were "no reported collisions." "The NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex," they said. "There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard."
'Great fodder for another episode of South Park!'
Internet users were furious at Prince Harry and Meghan. One user tweeted, "Hired them to pap her, then accused them of being reckless, 'Fast and Furious' style, dangerous pursuers of her?" Another chimed, "Yep, they claim the dangerous driver was a pap, when it seems the 'dangerous driver' was their own driver in their own HERTZ hired car." A third added, "Great fodder for another episode of South Park!" "The duo rushed the statement because they knew the videos of their SUV being pulled over by police would be published. So they played victim first," read a tweet. A user claimed, "Who would've thought, that this would be the lie, that was the last straw. I certainly didn't have that on my bingo card."
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