The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 8: April - August 2023


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moby said:
The statement seems clear. Having lived in NYC for a bit, I can't fathom a 2-hour car chase. I think it's an insult to the NYPD, who was apparently escorting the couple and their entourage, to blow the incident out of proportion and imply the protection they were providing was not enough. They're so used to escorting celebrities. Plus, this is NYC, Keanu Reeves and other celebrities walk around without much trouble, they ride public transport without getting bothered. Isn't that why the biggest celebrities enjoy the city? Taylor Swift, quite possibly the biggest pop star at the moment, goes in and out of her studio in NYC, gets papped, and yet there's never been a story like this.

I'm not saying the Sussexes didn't feel that they felt unsafe. They have their truth, after all, as they like to call it but call me skeptical.
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I am curious as to why they switched from the SUVs to the taxis. As I recall they've typically used SUVs for transportation on their previous visits to NYC.
 
Video to be released later…

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/harry-meghan-car-crash-chase-accident-c77fpgw70

They could have driven more or less directly to where they were staying, even with the various vehicles in pursuit…BUT…if you have a friend in New York kindly providing accommodations, whether in a townhouse or apartment building, you don’t lead the paps to that location. The people who live there don’t want their building surrounded on that night or any future night.

In city traffic, you have no real ability to speed away from followers.
 
Is it possible this happened because the Sussexes aren't in NYC that often? I'm trying to imagine what financial motivation there is for a shot of them in a car. Which media outlet would pay megabucks to a pap for something mundane like that on an occasion when there are loads of other good photos available from regular press photographers.
 
moby said:
The statement seems clear. Having lived in NYC for a bit, I can't fathom a 2-hour car chase. I think it's an insult to the NYPD, who was apparently escorting the couple and their entourage, to blow the incident out of proportion and imply the protection they were providing was not enough. They're so used to escorting celebrities. Plus, this is NYC, Keanu Reeves and other celebrities walk around without much trouble, they ride public transport without getting bothered. Isn't that why the biggest celebrities enjoy the city? Taylor Swift, quite possibly the biggest pop star at the moment, goes in and out of her studio in NYC, gets papped, and yet there's never been a story like this.

I'm not saying the Sussexes didn't feel that they felt unsafe. They have their truth, after all, as they like to call it but call me skeptical.
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New information is coming out by the hour and it is important to reserve judgment until we know the full picture.

TMZ reported that part of the chase happened on the FDR Drive, which is a highway on the east side of Mahattan. It is very possible to drive at high speed on that road since it is a highway and does not have traffic light.

TMZ also confirmed the 2 hour span mentioned by Harry's spokesperson.

Harry and Meghan were seen getting into a SUV when leaving the event. But they switched to a yellow cab, possibly as a diversion to avoid paparazzi.

However, they were followed anyway, as video and pictures have been posted of them in the yellow cab.

They did not want the paparazzi to find out where they were staying, so it sounds like they drove around trying to shake them, which took 2 hours.
 

They switched into a police escorted taxi after leaving the precinct. The entire thing is unfortunate.
 
OwlBranch said:
They did not want the paparazzi to find out where they were staying, so it sounds like they drove around trying to shake them, which took 2 hours.
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They'd be safer and have more privacy if they stayed in the kind of hotel that hosts VIPs all the time. It's sad if you can't stay with a friend but that's probably a price of fame.
 
Seems to be a big discrepancy in what actually happened.

The Police Report said the "transport was CHALLENGING, but no collision, injuries or arrests issued".

The Sussex's Spokesperson described what transpired as " a near catastrophic car chase".

I would think that * if * it was a harrowing, terrifying danger to The Sussex's AND bystanding innocent New Yorkers in traffic and sidewalks, arrests would have been made.

AND interestingly enough, the Cab Driver, Mr Sukhcharn Singh when interviewed said this....

"He never felt in danger and would NOT call it a chase". Hmmmm

I guess we will have to wait for more information.
 
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Sounds more chaotic and overwhelming than anything else.

I think the words the Sussex’s used were a little extreme.

I think more paparazzi controls that side of Atlantic are needed.
 
Mbruno said:
Why did the Sussexes have a protective team from the NYPD? Who would be responsible for authorizing a taxpayer-funded police protection detail for them in New York City?
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Didn’t thry go and ask for support.

What they would like, sure wouldn’t we all, is completely funded protection.
 
How do people like Beyonce manage? There must be ways of avoiding near catastrophic car chases surely!
 
OwlBranch said:
New information is coming out by the hour and it is important to reserve judgment until we know the full picture.

TMZ reported that part of the chase happened on the FDR Drive, which is a highway on the east side of Mahattan. It is very possible to drive at high speed on that road since it is a highway and does not have traffic light.

TMZ also confirmed the 2 hour span mentioned by Harry's spokesperson.

Harry and Meghan were seen getting into a SUV when leaving the event. But they switched to a yellow cab, possibly as a diversion to avoid paparazzi.

However, they were followed anyway, as video and pictures have been posted of them in the yellow cab.

They did not want the paparazzi to find out where they were staying, so it sounds like they drove around trying to shake them, which took 2 hours.
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FDR Drive is less than 10 miles long, so they didn't have a two-hour, high speed chase there.

And they switched to a cab? Really?
 
I think Mr. Singh just drove them around the block and back to the station house while the police tried to misdirect the followers.
 
Prinsara said:
Within that same article it calls it an "over one hour" chase vs. the original "over two hours", quoted.

I don't think we have nearly all the details yet.
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It was the spokesperson for Team Sussex that said it lasted "over two hours". I guess I'm wondering why they would agree to stay with friends instead of at an hotel in the first place when they know that their movements would be followed.
 
They hire a ruthless Hollywood PR guy and now they are on CNN. Where were these paps following them to, to what end; doesn't make sense at all. They took photos already.
 
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A little more information about the incident. The Washington Post has spoken to the taxi driver who drove them around for a bit last night. He says he picked them up at the police station. They were pursued by two vehicles who would take pictures of them when they stopped. A security guard grew concerned and told the taxi driver to head back to the police station. The driver says he wouldn’t call it a car chase.

In an interview to The Post, taxi driver Sukhcharn Singh said he picked up Harry, Meghan, an older Black woman and one security guard around 11 p.m. on Tuesday outside the New York City Police Department’s 19th precinct.

He said he drove them for a brief period, during which it appeared they were pursued by other vehicles. Singh estimated that the entire journey lasted 10 minutes, and said he got the impression from the group that they had been already pursued by paparazzi before entering his car.
——————-
“I don’t think I would call it a chase,” Singh said of his period driving the couple. “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.”

Source
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FigTree said:
Sounds more chaotic and overwhelming than anything else.

I think the words the Sussex’s used were a little extreme.

I think more paparazzi controls that side of Atlantic are needed.
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:previous::previous:

I agree! Given Harry's history, I have no doubt it was very triggering for him, which accounts for the highly charged language used in the statement.

As much as I try to be understanding, such hyperbolic statement only draws attention to the situation. Not to mention opening them to criticism for being melodramatic.
 
If this episode has been embellished by The Sussex's Spokesperson, I find that pathetic. This IS NY CITY. Where Meghan purposely had her Baby Shower at the ritziest Hotel and the pap photos for public consumption. Which she caught a lot of flack for.

I keep remembering the ridiculous staged scene in the Netflix docu-series of them in NY City in their car lamenting the paparazzi and the scene cuts to ONE lone car it appears following them. With Harry and Meghan looking bewildered and exasperated at each other in the back seat. It depicted in that strange scene, ONE CAR just behind them too. It was supposed to be dramatic and intrusive, but it fell flat.

Just like the scenes that were fake in the Netflix Docu-series, that supposedly were the paparazzi targeting The Sussex's. Which were FAKE. They were Harry Potter premiere photos and Katie Price Court Trial photos ! Not even them.

Can't imagine what the Family makes of this in the UK.
 
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OwlBranch said:
:previous::previous:

I agree! Given Harry's history, I have no doubt it was very triggering for him, which accounts for the highly charged language used in the statement.

As much as I try to be understanding, such hyperbolic statement only draws attention to the situation. Not to mention opening them to criticism for being melodramatic.
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I think perhaps we should take this as perhaps the way they talk about other incidences. Recollections May vary and all that.

Look I wouldn’t want anything ever to happen to them. I wish them all the best in the world. But I have little time for this drama.
 
Granada said:
If this episode has been embellished by The Sussex's Spokesperson, I find that pathetic. This IS NY CITY. Where Meghan had her Baby Shower at the ritziest Hotel and the pap photos for public consumption. Which she caught a lot of flack for.

I keep remembering the ridiculous staged scene in the Netflix docu-series of them in NY City in their car lamenting the paparazzi and the scene cuts to ONE lone car it appears following them. With Harry and Meghan looking bewildered and exasperated at each other in the back seat. It depicted in that strange scene, ONE CAR just behind them too.

Can't imagine what the Family makes of this in the UK.
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If that is indeed the case, I had the same suspicions from the start to be honest. That's what happens when people have a proven history of manipulating the facts - it makes people sceptical. Sad but true.
 
The cab driver can after the fact. He was in a police escort to their destination. So not really sure why he would fell chased. He even says he understands something occurred prior to him picking them up.
 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...phic-car-chase-New-York-spokesman-claims.html


Interesting mention:

“ In common with other websites, MailOnline published agency pictures of Harry and Meghan for a few hours this morning.

The agency pictures were captioned as showing Harry and Meghan getting into a taxi after the event and were published on that basis. When it was discovered that the pictures were in fact taken some time later at a different location, they were removed.”
 
Granada said:
I keep remembering the ridiculous staged scene in the Netflix docu-series of them in NY City in their car lamenting the paparazzi and the scene cuts to ONE lone car it appears following them. With Harry and Meghan looking bewildered and exasperated at each other in the back seat. It depicted in that strange scene, ONE CAR just behind them too. It was supposed to be dramatic and intrusive, but it fell flat.
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Well, surely, now that this has happened to them twice, they'll avoid future visits to NYC. They don't live there and there's no reason for them to ever be there, especially if the paparazzi is a threat to their privacy and security. They should accept all their future NYC-based awards by video uplink.

Anyway, I'm just glad no one was injured during this incident. In addition to Harry, Meghan, Doria, and the paps, there were a lot of innocent bystanders who could have been seriously hurt, had the incident been as near-catastrophic as H&M's spokesperson claimed. And while I'm sure their friends appreciated not having paparazzi swarm their home, I'm not sure that was sufficient justification for driving around the streets of New York for two hours trying to avoid that. Everyone involved here should have been smarter and realized that neither taking pictures nor avoiding them was worth creating an unsafe situation. In so many ways, it seems like Harry is determined not to learn any lessons from his mother's life.
 
Hmm I'll wait for more to come out so we can gather all the facts but so far it seems Harry and Meghan and those on their payroll are the only ones to have felt this was as dramatic as their statement made it seemed (notice how their bodyguard is now speaking exclusively to CNN - I'm sure it would be standard for any bodyguard to not be permitted to do so without permission from those employing them). Everyone else, the police, the mayor, the taxi driver, seemed to think it less dramatic, yes annoying but not life threatening.
 
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There have been suggestions that the NYPD's statement contradicts TRH The Sussexes own statement about what happened, but I disagree.

The NYPD states that "there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests in regard." This doesn't mean that there weren't any, just that they weren't reported on. If a paparazzi got injury due to aggressive tactics, they would be disinclined to report as it might lead to legal liability on their part. Regardless, however, this lines up with TRH The Sussexes own statement about "near catastrophic car chase" and "near collisions."

Many may say that TRH The Sussexes are blowing this out-of-proportion, but the NYPD, who I'm pretty sure does not give every famous person in New York City personal protection (as that would be a tall order), felt that the situation called for their assistance.
 
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