Just call me Harry. (Everything Harry & Meghan)

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taf2002

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This is a quick article, but I notice one thing. Meghan has claimed that she didn’t know her friends would mention the letter when being interviewed by People magazine. Now this could be sloppy reporting, but it doesn’t say that Meghan denies telling the friends about the letter. I have no knowledge of British privacy laws, but assuming she did speak to five people about the letter, would she still have a claim that it was private?


She probably told her friends just that she had written to him. Would that fact mean that she had no expectation or right of privacy? Re Thomas Markle, I am older than him so unless he has pickled his brain with liquor or drugs he is not old enough to claim age-related confusion. I don't understand why any of you want to give him a pass.

Let me give an example. When my husband went to work for a major airline there were members of both our families who went "good, I can get free tickets now". I think the Markle family has acted like this, "good, Meghan is a member of the royal family now, what's in it for me?".
 

Barbara Manatee

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That is a good question. I'm on Team Nobody here. This lawsuit makes them all look bad. The tabloids - sleazy and intrusive, Meghan's dad and her friends - dumb and disloyal, Harry and Meghan - petty and self-absorbed. If it is important to H&M to take on irresponsible press coverage, surely they could have found a more compelling example?
 

overedge

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If the article in People is the one that I'm thinking of, IIRC it was pretty detailed about what was in the letter. It didn't sound like Meghan just told her friends, oh, I wrote a letter to my dad, and left it at that. I'm prepared to believe that the friends took the initiative to contact People on their own, without Meghan pushing them to do it, but the article read like the friends had been very well prepared with material to talk about.

Regarding Thomas Markle, yes, he's old and he's unwell, and he probably needed the money that the tabloids were willing to give him. But don't forget that he worked in Hollywood for many years. I don't think he's a naive outsider who was duped because he didn't understand how the press and celebrities feed off each other.
 

overedge

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Whose actual friends just go and call People Magazine?

I would guess, people who think their friend is being unfairly portrayed in the media and want to counteract that.

Also, if the friends are also in show business or have their own publicists (coughJessicaMulroneycough), it wouldn't be too difficult to pull a few strings and get through to a high-profile magazine like People.
 

mag

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Whose actual friends just go and call People Magazine?

I think the “friends” as well as all the various celebrities who have spoken to the media about Meghan have done her a huge disservice. Clearly they aren’t close friends because, according to Meghan, none of them were checking in to see how Meghan was doing after Archie was born. I have respect for Serena Williams who refuses to comment.
 

MLIS

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I don’t for a minute believe that Meghan didn’t know her friends were going to talk to People. Perhaps she didn’t know the details of what they were going to say, or expect them to mention the letter specifically, but I find it impossible to believe that friends of someone who tries to control her media coverage and image as much as Meghan does would take it upon themselves to speak to one of the biggest magazines in the world about details of her life without her at least implicit agreement.

My personal theory is that both Meghan and her dad tried to play this the way they were used to in Hollywood, with strategic leaks from ”inside sources” to sympathetic publications and staged paparazzi photos. And it blew up in their faces. She thought she knew how to handle the media, and her dad has been around Hollywood himself for decades. But the British papers play by different rules, and she would have had no support in trying to deal with them from Harry, whose hatred for the British papers is crippling.
 

starrynight

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As I recall, everything damaging came from the USA. The photos, the TMZ articles, the sisters talking etc.

Then the UK press picked up on it and it snow balled.
 

canbelto

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People Magazine has done its work for years as the unofficial press source for celebrities. They're very good at what they do. The vast majority of their articles are published the with the tacit consent of the celebrity in question. It's a weird comparison but it's like the "sources inside the WH" line from WaPo. WaPo and NYT have spent many years cultivating sources within Washington. Leaks to the WaPo and NYT are generally considered trustworthy because politicians are so used to calling them for selective leaks.

My personal theory is that Meghan didn't see anything wrong with her "friends" talking to People about her dad. At first. But Harry might have flipped out -- to him, any cooperation with the press is tantamount to high treason.
 

mag

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My personal theory is that Meghan didn't see anything wrong with her "friends" talking to People about her dad. At first. But Harry might have flipped out -- to him, any cooperation with the press is tantamount to high treason.

I believe Meghan has now said, under oath, in a statement to the court, that she did not know her friends were talking to People magazine.

ETA: I looked back, and the reporting is that she didn’t know they would mention the letter. That is not saying she didn’t tell them about the letter and seems to imply she new they were talking to People. Of course, hard to say because we don’t know how accurate the reporting is and this turns on the exact wording of her statement which I don’t think has been released.
 

aftershocks

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Are you working undercover as Archie's nanny? How do you know how H&M plan to raise Archie? Also, since you know everything, does Archie have red hair?

You are such a gnarly instigator for no reason. Yes, I already called it when Archie was two days old that he probably has red hair. Some of the photos we saw in South Africa appeared to confirm it. Get over it already, and stop with your unnecessary nastiness.

It's no guesswork to know that M&H plan to raise Archie to appreciate both of his heritages. First of all, they said as much in their statement about stepping down from being senior royals. Second of all, it's fairly reasonable commonsense that this would be their plan.
 

canbelto

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You are such a gnarly instigator for no reason. Yes, I already called it when Archie was two days old that he probably has red hair. Some of the photos we saw in South Africa appeared to confirm it. Get over it already, and stop with your unnecessary nastiness.

It's no guesswork to know that M&H plan to raise Archie to appreciate both of his heritages. First of all, they said as much in their statement about stepping down from being senior royals. Second of all, it's fairly reasonable commonsense that this would be their plan.

you called it that he has red hair when he was two days old? You mean when he greeted the world with his hair covered in a cap? :rolleyes:

you’re like the fatal attraction bunny boiler.
 

puglover

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In the initial statement that Harry gave he make reference to the royal heritage to which Archie was born. That was when it sounded like they were hoping for a smoother transition from senior working royals living in GB full time and being present for the pageantry to a sort of half time situation that allowed them to pull away and do their own endeavours and then return and spend half of the year involved in a similar way as before. I know they have made their decisions with Archie's good in mind, and I realize he is a baby and unaware of any of this, but I was touched when I saw the photo of Prince Charles holding Prince Louis. I guess we will have to wait and see how things go when they do return to GB. I am not sure I am making much sense - I just hope Archie gets to be known and be loved by that side of his family and his country.
 

mag

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I just hope Archie gets to be known and be loved by that side of his family and his country.

Many children, with fewer resources, live thousands of miles away from their Grandparents. With iMessage, Zoom, Skype, etc Archie will be able to chat and message with his extended family in England. Assuming Harry and Meghan make the effort to keep connected and they, and W&K, keep the cousins connected, I am sure sure Archie will feel part of the family. At this point it is up to the parents to make sure the kids visit. I am sure Peter Phillips’ kids have a relationship with their Canadian grandparents and cousins (I am assume there are some.)

Again, Archie has an extremely privileged life with support and resources most people could never even dream of. Many of us from earlier generations were able to maintain good relationships with grandparents and cousins who lived on the other side of the world through letters and Christmas phone calls and maybe, a visit every 10 years.

As far as the British public are concerned, I just hope Archie’s visibility when in Britain is similar to his visibility when in other countries. He was taken out and photographed a lot in South Africa, including video clips, when, other than being shown wrapped in a blanket with a cap on, the British public had no idea what he looked like. Then there was the photo taken with Harry in Canada. I hope H&M are able to put their hatred of the British press aside long enough to make sure the British people can see Archie in public at a similar level of exposure.
 

canbelto

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Eh, I think Archie can grow up and we don't have to know what he looks like. Children shouldn't have to pay for their parentage. I would hate to see some nutso going after Archie because they don't like Meghan.
 

Wyliefan

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As far as the British public are concerned, I just hope Archie’s visibility when in Britain is similar to his visibility when in other countries. He was taken out and photographed a lot in South Africa, including video clips, when, other than being shown wrapped in a blanket with a cap on, the British public had no idea what he looked like. Then there was the photo taken with Harry in Canada. I hope H&M are able to put their hatred of the British press aside long enough to make sure the British people can see Archie in public at a similar level of exposure.

I'm pretty sure that people in Britain are allowed to look at photos and videos taken in South Africa.
 

mag

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Eh, I think Archie can grow up and we don't have to know what he looks like. Children shouldn't have to pay for their parentage. I would hate to see some nutso going after Archie because they don't like Meghan.


I'm pretty sure that people in Britain are allowed to look at photos and videos taken in South Africa.

Absolutely there is no requirement to have photos of Archie. My point was if they allow for photos to be taken, or release photos, while living in LA or anywhere else, I would hope they would do the same in the UK. Archie is an heir to the British throne, and the vast majority Brit’s welcomed Meghan with open arms when she arrived. There was great excitement about the wedding. It seems to me insensitive at best to not allow similar access (whatever that is) while they are in Britain.

Again, I am not advocating for Archie to live his life in a fishbowl. H&M also have the absolute right to decide, while Archie is a child, his level of public exposure. I just hope when they have been away for a while, they will be able to look back on all the good things that happened when they were living in the UK and that they won’t keep Archie away because of their dislike of a segment of the British press.
 

aftershocks

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There's so much ongoing speculation here apparently based largely on twisted tabloid reports or rehashed mainstream clickbait. Some of the commentary here and a lot of the blather about M&H across the Internet seems so thirsty about this couple, and their child. Apparently,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EI8JN-fSLo


In other actual news that's not speculative about Meghan & Harry:



ETA: The above video also comments on the story I just now see kittyjake linked (which is picked up from the Daily Fail). It's hard to know how much of the Daily Fail report is accurate, though there of course may be some truths mixed in there. Still I wouldn't trust exactly how it's reported in every detail or how it's approached. Plus, none of Meghan's friends would be speaking to the DF (which is involved in Meghan's lawsuit).

Harry's intro to his favorite children's book character was reportedly recorded in Great Britain in January. Harry also recently launched the HeadFit campaign he's been working on with the British military since 2017. The project was created by Harry but remains under the Royal Foundation/Heads Together initiative, since that's the umbrella under which it started:

Also, a book about Meghan & Harry has reportedly been written by Omid Scobie with co-author, Carolyn Durand, entitled: Thoroughly Modern Royals: The Real World of Harry & Meghan.

According to reports, it's not an authorized biography, but since Omid is a fair and reasonable journalist, hopefully it will be informative and balanced. E-format is supposed to be available in June, with hard-copy to appear sometime later in the summer.
 
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aftershocks

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I just hope Archie’s visibility when in Britain is similar to his visibility when in other countries. He was taken out and photographed a lot in South Africa, including video clips, when, other than being shown wrapped in a blanket with a cap on, the British public had no idea what he looked like. Then there was the photo taken with Harry in Canada.

Absolutely there is no requirement to have photos of Archie. My point was if they allow for photos to be taken, or release photos, while living in LA or anywhere else, I would hope they would do the same in the UK...

What sense does any of what you're saying make? I would say, none. Why the obsessiveness over how much or how little Archie has been seen by the U.K. public or by any public??? Any pictures that are available of Archie are seen by people all over the world, which includes the U.K. public. There was no such obsession attached to seeing Prince Louis as a newborn and during his early months. We've actually seen much more of Archie at various stages of his babyhood than we actually got to see of Prince Louis at similar stages in his first year.

There were lovely christening pictures of Archie that showed more of him than we saw of Prince Louis at his christening. And we saw Archie at a polo match in June 2019. The reason we saw the video in South Africa is because it was shown to the public in honor of a special meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Sussexes happened to be on tour, and the public was fortunate to see Archie at that stage (nearly five months). The photos in Canada were taken there around the Christmas and New Year's holidays, because that's where the Sussexes were staying for an extended period.

To compare how, if or when photos are seen of Archie in L.A., vs in the U.K. is absolutely ridiculous. Archie is far removed from the British throne and none of the public anywhere should be worried about seeing pictures of him. If and whenever we do see Archie, is up to his parents. Let this child and his parents be, please.
 
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overedge

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The UK papers are going to jump all over a photo of Archie, no matter who the photo is officially released to. H&M don't have any way to stop e.g. the sleazy tabloids writing a story about a new photo and including a link to the site(s) where the photo is posted. So even if H&M only release the photo to news organizations they approve of, the photo is going to be all over the place anyway.
 

mella

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As for this lawsuit, the Mail did not take long range photos and did not fabricate a story. They are being sued because they printed excerpts of a letter Meghan wrote to her father and Meghan is alleging that the editing the Mail did changed the meaning, and also that the letter was private. The letter was used by a number of Meghan’s “friends” when they spoke to People magazine to defend her position and paint Mr. Markle in a negative light. Mr. Markle claims he spoke to the Mail in order to defend himself and set the record straight. He clearly believed at the time that the letter was his property and so his decision about whether or not he shared it. I am sure there are laws around that that will come into play. Meghan has now stated that she did not know these “friends” were going to spill to People magazine. I guess we will soon find out who they are as I imagine they will be required to testify.
Apologies if it's been noted before playing catch up on this thread.

I do think it relevant that the "friends" who spoke to People Magazine were using the letter to counter numerous claims by TM in both print and TV media that he hadn't heard from Meghan or Harry since he got sick/since before the wedding etc. Both the letter and text messages recently released prove that often repeated sad story to be a lie. Although I suppose one can be pedantic about the fact that he technically hadn't actually spoken to her... he apparently did not answer or return phone calls/texts and had received a letter from her...

I don't think the interview the friends gave was about making TM look bad, it was about countering the bad press that Meghan was getting at the time labelling her as callous for cutting her dad off.

I think for many people across the globe a parent outright lying about you in the press might be deemed a betrayal. Personally I think it would be the end for me if any relative did that (and it probably wouldn't even need to be in the press since that's unlikely to ever happen).

I agree (as I think someone else said) TM shouldn't be held accountable for the actions of his other children but the half-sister has often purported to be speaking on his behalf/in his defence and he has chosen not to set the record straight on that side of things as far as I have seen (despite his frequent press interviews)... in allowing that to go unchecked he is making a statement. "Half" sibling relationships are often sensitive and it doesn't seem like these relationships were ever at their best.
 
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VGThuy

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It's normal for certain pleadings to be dismissed in a suit claiming multiple claims like this one. As the judge said, those claims can be revived if they are pled in a way that shows it is more relevant at a later stage of the litigation. Often times, it's just a matter of re-wording it. Of course, it remains to be seen if those claims will be revived.
 

Barbara Manatee

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I do think it relevant that the "friends" who spoke to People Magazine were using the letter to counter numerous claims by TM in both print and TV media that he hadn't heard from Meghan or Harry since he got sick/since before the wedding etc.
Is it relevant to the court case, though? It doesn't matter why the friends talked to People, only that they did. The tabloids are contending that Meghan shared the letter with a bunch of her friends and then the friends shared it with People, so there was no privacy left to breach when they published excerpts.
 

VGThuy

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Is it relevant to the court case, though? It doesn't matter why the friends talked to People, only that they did. The tabloids are contending that Meghan shared the letter with a bunch of her friends and then the friends shared it with People, so there was no privacy left to breach when they published excerpts.

It'll be interesting to see how the Court will decide that as those claims have survived. I do wonder myself.
 
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