The Reason Meghan Markle Is Doubling Down On Her Tabloid Lawsuit
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are doubling down on their lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday. It was first reported in October 2019 that the royal couple was suing the outlet for publishing a handwritten letter sent from Markle to her estranged father.
"As a couple, we believe in media freedom and objective, truthful reporting," said Prince Harry at the time (via The Guardian). "We regard it as a cornerstone of democracy and in the current state of the world — on every level — we have never needed responsible media more. Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences — a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son."
Prince Harry said that the letter omitted critical details in order to put Markle in a bad light. "In addition to their unlawful publication of this private document, they purposely misled you by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words to mask the lies they had perpetuated for over a year," he said.
Meghan and Harry say that the Mail on Sunday has fabricated stories
People recently reported that additional court documents were filed against the tabloid and its parent company, Associated Newspapers, in November. The legal documents accused the Mail on Sunday of publishing "untrue" stories in order to portray Markle "negatively."
Among the falsehoods are reports that, when renovating their home, Frogmore Cottage, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle added a $6,500 bathtub, $650,000 of aircraft soundproofing, a yoga studio, orangery, tennis court, and guest wing for Markle's mother, Doria Ragland. Markle is also refuting the claim that her mother was not invited to her baby shower, and that the shower cost a whopping $300,000. Instead, the documents claim the shower cost "a tiny fraction" of that amount.
According to E! News, the lawsuit is being privately funded by the royal couple, who plan to donate any damages to an anti-bullying charity.