Royal Family
NYC mayor hits out at paparazzi over Meghan Markle and Prince Harry car chase
New York City mayor Eric Adams made some brief comment as details of Tuesday night’s car chase continue to come out.
After Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were involved in a near catastrophic car chase, New York City mayor Eric Adams has slammed paparazzi for their actions.
Adams was speaking at a public safety announcement regarding retail theft on Wednesday when he was asked to comment on the car chase by a reporter.
“It’s clear that the press, paparazzis, they want to get the right shot, they want to get the right story, but public safety must always be at the forefront,” said Adams.
“Two of our officers could have been injured. New York City is different from a small town somewhere.
“You shouldn’t be speeding anywhere, but this is a densely populated city and I think all of us ... I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Prince Harry’s] mom died and it would be horrific to lose innocent bystanders during a chase like this, and something to have happened to them as well, so I think we have to be extremely responsible.
“I thought that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.”
When Adams was asked about how long the chase lasted, he stated he was still being briefed on what happened.
“I would find it hard to believe there was a two-hour high-speed chase,” he said, while adding that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous in New York City.
“We have a lot of traffic, a lot of movement, a lot of people are using our streets. Any type of high speed chase that involves something of that nature is inappropriate.”
Meghan and Harry shaken by what happened
Adams’ comments come after a source told Page Six that Harry, Meghan and her mother, Doria Ragland, who was with them at the time, remain shaken by what happened.
“Everyone is still upset, to say the least. It was horrific,” a source told the outlet.
A spokesperson released a statement on behalf of the couple, stating they were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase.”
“Last night, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi,” read the statement.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.
“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.”