Despite rumors, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle know how to take a joke!
Since stepping down from their royal duties and moving to the US, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been shrouded in controversies. From their alleged problems with the royal family to their resettlement, the couple frequently makes headlines for existing in the spotlight.
However, the spouses were recently victims of fake news. Days after reports claimed the duo would sue the animated sitcom “South Park” over a parody, a spokesperson for the pair said otherwise.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Are Not Taking Legal Action Against ‘South Park’
One con of being a celebrity is fighting to protect your privacy against the public’s never-ending curiosity. To feed the high demand for juicy news, A-listers frequently have their boundaries tested by the paparazzi, or they are subjected to jokes for fans’ entertainment.
When “South Park” dropped a new episode on February 15, titled “Worldwide Privacy Tour,” they hit a little close to home for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The plot followed a “Prince of Canada” and his wife moving to a fictional Colorado town.
The characters’ uncanny resemblance to the royal members was unmistakable, from the prince’s red hair and beard to his wife’s pink outfit, which matched Meghan’s outfit at the 2018 event, Trooping the Colour. As depicted in the episode’s title, the fictional couple went on a worldwide tour while holding “we want our privacy” and “stop looking at us” signs.
This may have referenced the duo’s viral 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, where the “SUITS” actress opened up about the media’s invasion of her family’s privacy. Addressing the situation, Meghan said, “I think everyone has a basic right to privacy. Basic. We’re not talking about anything that anybody else wouldn’t expect.”
Also, the “Worldwide Privacy Tour” story criticized Meghan’s fictional character. The 2D avatar was described as a “sorority girl, actress, influencer and victim” by a fictional talk-show host, who also called her an “Instagram-loving b**ch wife.” The cartoon prince defended his wife by claiming the couple only wanted their privacy.
Given the parody of their lives in the animated sitcom, it was easy to believe that the couple might sue showrunners for making fun of them. However, the royal members’ representative recently announced the spouses’ stance.
“It’s all frankly nonsense. Totally baseless, boring reports,” the spokesperson told People Magazine. So why did rumors of a lawsuit start spreading? Per reports, multiple sources alleged the show had ticked off the Duchess of Sussex.
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An insider claimed the former actress was “upset and overwhelmed” by the episode, while royal commentator Neil Sean added fire to these allegations. The reporter noted that the couple planned on involving their legal team in the situation instead of “laughing it off.”
“Their legal team is casting an eye over the episode to see what is wrong, and what could be turned into something more sinister. This appears to be their course of action rather than laughing it off, enjoying the moment, and showing the world that they get the joke,” Sean noted.
In defense of “South Park” creators, the controversial episode had a disclaimer stating that all characters were fictional, even if they were based on real people.
Despite the couple’s interest in protecting their privacy, they seem to be putting themselves in the spotlight. Prince Harry recently released a memoir, “Spare,” detailing his royal upbringing, and the couple released a Netflix docuseries about their life in 2022. Meghan also has a podcast titled “Archetypes.”
The Duchess of Sussex Virtually Battles It Out In Court With Her Older Sister
The South Park scandal comes amid Meghan and her half-sister Samantha Markle having a legal battle. The Blast previously reported that the anticipated case between the Markle sisters officially began in February when Samantha claimed the Duchess defamed her to gain sympathy with her “false rags to riches” story.
The older sibling filed the defamation lawsuit in 2022, seeking $75,000 in damages for the alleged lies told by her sister in her Oprah Winfrey interview and her biography “Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family.”
During their virtual court appearance with their legal teams, Samantha’s lawyer Peter Ticktin claimed that the royal member falsified her narrative and repeatedly continued promoting her “rags to riches” story even though her family catered to her needs.
Ticktin noted that the “Dater’s Handbook” star was caught lying about receiving “scholarships” when her father paid for her education. The attorney implored the court to find out why Meghan consistently portrayed her family badly when they did nothing wrong.
Meanwhile, Meghan’s attorney argued the dismissal of seven out of the ten alleged defamatory statements. The lawyer explained that the remarks were from “Finding Freedom,” a biography neither written nor published by his client.
