Entertainment picture agency Backgrid issued a statement saying it was investigating the conduct of several freelance photographers, but that their initial account of events differed to that of the Sussexes…reports Asian Lite News
Prince Harry, Meghan and her mother were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi, a spokesperson for the couple claimed.
The incident happened after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended an awards ceremony in New York on Tuesday.
In a statement, their spokesperson said the “relentless pursuit” lasted for more than two hours and resulted in “multiple near collisions”.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said there were no arrests or injuries.
The NYPD confirmed an incident took place involving Harry and Meghan and said numerous photographers “made their transport challenging”. No injuries or arrests were reported, the police said. Buckingham Palace has not yet commented.
Entertainment picture agency Backgrid issued a statement saying it was investigating the conduct of several freelance photographers, but that their initial account of events differed to that of the Sussexes.
“The photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in immediate danger at any point,” it said.
It followed claims the chase involved half a dozen cars, with reckless driving including going through red lights, driving on the pavement, carrying out blocking moves, and reversing down a one-way street – as well as taking photographs while driving.
The couple and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, tried to take shelter from the paparazzi by going to a Manhattan police station.
There was then a plan to use a New York taxi, with a yellow cab flagged down and Harry, Meghan, Ms Ragland and a security officer getting inside.
But the vehicle and its occupants were spotted by photographers and they reverted to their own security vehicles.
Cab driver Sukhcharn Singh, who goes by the name Sonny, said he picked up the four passengers on 67th Street between Lexington Avenue and 3rd Avenue. “A security guard hailed me, next thing you know Prince Harry and his wife were hopping into my cab,” he said.
“As we went a block, we got blocked by a garbage truck and all of a sudden paparazzi came and started taking pictures. They were just about to give me the location of where they were going to go, but then they told me to circle back to the precinct.”
He said they were “nice people” who “looked nervous”.
He thought claims of a “near catastrophic chase” might have been exaggerated, saying that he did not think the paparazzi were being “aggressive”.
“New York is the safest place to be – there’s police stations, cops on every corner,” he said. “[The paparazzi] were behind us… they kept their distance.”
The passengers paid $50 (£40) for the short journey, he added. Mr Singh’s account relates to just 10 minutes of what the Sussexes’ spokesperson described as an ordeal lasting more than two hours.
The driver’s assessment stands in contrast to that of Chris Sanchez, a member of the couple’s security detail, who told CNN the scene was “very chaotic” and that photographers at one point blocked the limousine carrying Harry and Meghan.
“The public were in jeopardy at several points,” he said. “It could have been fatal.”
The couple use private security while in the US – but Harry is engaged in a legal battle in London over the use of Metropolitan Police protection while he and his family are in the UK.
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