A celebrity photo agency strenuously denies claims that its photographers chased a taxi carrying Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in NYC.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claims the paparazzi pursued the royals through the streets of NYC in a “near catastrophic car chase.”
Harry, Meghan and her mom Doria Ragland hopped into a taxi cab after attending The Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards in New York City on Tuesday night.
The royals’ spokesperson told Page Six that the “relentless pursuit” lasted more than two hours and resulted in “multiple near collisions” with drivers, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.
However, the NYPD released a statement saying the reports of near collisions were being blown out of proportion.
“There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging,” a police spokesperson said on Wednesday. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination, and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests.”
Backgrid USA Inc. denied allegations that their photographers recklessly pursued Meghan and Harry after the awards show.
“At Backgrid USA Inc., we value transparency and ethics in journalism, which include providing fair and factual responses to claims,” Backgrid said in a statement to ET:
“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. 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.”
Backgrid USA said the “freelance contributors… were covering the couple’s stay in New York City, including the possibility of a dinner after an award ceremony.” The company alleged that the photographers “had no intention of causing any distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras.”
Backgrid’s hired photographers alleged that “one of the four SUVs from Prince Harry’s security escort was 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 vigorously denied the Duke and Duchess’ spokesperson’s claim that they were being pursued by “highly aggressive paparazzi.” The professional photographers stated “there were no near-collisions or near-crashes during this incident.”
“The photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in immediate danger at any point,” Backgrid said in their statement.
