Harry and Meghan sue paparazzi over ‘illegal’ LA pictures of Archie
Harry and Meghan sue unknown paparazzi for taking illegal ‘drone’ pictures of their son Archie at their California home
- The lawsuit filed by Harry and Meghan in Los Angeles alleges ‘serial intrusions’ into 14-month-old Archie’s privacy
- The lawsuit claims that drones and helicopters entered the privacy of the airspace above the couple’s LA residence
- It also aims to ‘uncover and stop those who seek to profit from these illegal actions,’ the complaint says
By Reuters
Published: 22:05 EDT, 23 July 2020 | Updated: 04:06 EDT, 24 July 2020
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have filed a lawsuit in California accusing unnamed paparazzi photographers of taking ‘illegal’ drone pictures of their son Archie.
The lawsuit filed on Thursday alleges ‘serial intrusions’ into 14-month old Archie’s privacy at the LA home where Harry and Meghan have been living since March.
The couple say they are taking legal action to protect Archie from a ‘manufactured feeding frenzy’ after claiming that the paparazzi had flown helicopters over their home and cut holes in a fence to take pictures.
They also accuse photographers of putting misleading captions pictures of Archie in the back garden in order to suggest they were taken in a public place.
‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are filing this lawsuit to protect their young son’s right to privacy in their home without intrusion by photographers, and to uncover and stop those who seek to profit from these illegal actions,’ their attorney said.
The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, cited ‘serial intrusions’ of privacy of the couple’s 14-month old child, and came as a measure to protect him from the ‘manufactured feeding frenzy’. Pictured is Meghan and Harry with Archie in 2019
Meghan, Harry and one-year-old Archie have been staying at Hollywood producer Tyler Perry’s $18 million mega-mansion in the exclusive neighborhood of Beverly Ridge since moving to LA in March.
In their lawsuit, they say they took considerable privacy measures at Tyler’s mansion, including the erection of a large mesh fence around the property to guard against telephoto lenses.
But they can’t protect against drones which are being flown ‘a mere 20 feet above the house as often as three times a day’.
Helicopters have also flown over the residence as early as 5.30am and as late as 7pm, the legal papers allege, which had the effect of ‘waking neighbours and their son, day after day’.
‘Every individual and family member in California is guaranteed by law the right to privacy in their home. No drones, helicopters or telephoto lenses can take away that right,’ said the couple’s lawyer Michael Kump.
The duke and duchess say they expect to be followed when they go out in public but state that ‘certain paparazzi and enablers have crossed a red line.’
Harry and Meghan’s complaint accuses the paparazzi of ‘intimidation, harassment and the addition of a very real security threat on top of what already exists’.
The lawsuit filed by Kump said some some media outlets flew helicopters above the home and photographers had even cut holes in their fence to snap pictures.
They said the behavior ‘crossed a red line for any parent’ by shopping pics of their son.
The couple seeks ‘no special treatment’ and is only seeking the right to be left alone in the privacy of their home as guaranteed under the laws of California, the lawsuit stated.
Harry and Meghan claim they have ‘done everything in their power to stay out of the limelight’ except in relation to their work, which they accept is newsworthy.
Meghan and Harry have only been spotted out a handful of times since their move to LA in March, most recently leaving an appointment in Beverly Hills, as the friend explained the couple is starting to feel ‘cooped up’, leaving Meghan ready to get out of town for her birthday. Pictured on July 10
Harry and Meghan’s suit also claims that the photographer trying to sell pictures of their son claimed they were taken in public, in Malibu.
But the couple have not been to the area, or in public with their son, since moving to LA and say the snapper is simply trying to hide the fact they have ‘unsolicited photographs of a young child in the privacy of his own home’ which are ‘very much unlawful.’
They have also attempted to try and reduce the ‘bounty’ price of Archie photos by sharing pictures of him on social media.
Because Harry and Meghan do not know who took the pictures, the lawsuit targets unnamed defendants, which allows the couple to pursue anyone selling the images.
Harry blames press intrusion for the death of his mother Princess Diana in 1997 and last year alleged that Meghan was ‘falling victim to the same powerful forces’.
Diana died in a high-speed car crash while her chauffeur tried to escape pursuing paparazzi photographers in Paris.
A statement from Buckingham Palace after the ‘Megxit’ arrangements were finalised in January said that the couple had ‘experienced challenges’ as a result of ‘intense scrutiny’ since they married in 2018.
Earlier this year the couple announced they were cutting ties with the UK’s most popular newspapers, a move criticised by royal and media commentators.
The Sussex Royal website says the couple will instead ‘engage with grassroots media organisations and young, up-and-coming journalists’.
The couple stunned the world in January by announcing they were ‘stepping back as senior members of the royal family’ and would ‘work to become financially independent’.
After initially setting up camp in Canada, they moved to Meghan’s hometown of Los Angeles and have remained there during the coronavirus crisis.
The couple relocated to LA in March, but royal expert Victoria Murphy believes they aren’t looking for a ‘totally private life’. The says they stepped back from the royal family to gain more control over ‘what they spend their time on’.
Speaking to Town and Country, the commentator noted that Harry and Meghan still want a public life but with greater control over their time.
[Harry and Meghan] have stepped back not in search of a totally private life but for a different kind of public life,’ Victoria said. ‘A public life where they can have more control over who gets access to them and what they spend their time on.’
Meghan Markle addresses a virtual Women in Leadership summit on July 14, four months after the royal couple moved to Los Angeles
The pair have only been spotted out a handful of times, most recently leaving an appointment in Beverly Hills, as the friend explained the couple is starting to feel ‘cooped up’, leaving Meghan ready to get out of town for her birthday.
Royal watchers are meanwhile keenly awaiting the publication of a new biography Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family.
The authors boast the book published next month has been written ‘with the participation of those closest to the couple’.
Publishers say the book has ‘unique access’ and will ‘reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan’s life together’.
Reports claim that Harry and Meghan have spoken to the authors personally, although this has not been confirmed.
Separately, it was recently revealed that Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland had moved into Tyler Perry’s mega-mansion to help take care of Archie.
A friend previously told DailyMail.com that Meghan wants to keep her mother close because she is ‘her rock’ and now ‘doesn’t trust many people’ outside of an immediate circle of family and friends.
Meghan had the full support of her mother when she and Prince Harry quit as senior royals back in January.
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex dropped the bombshell news that they were quitting, dividing their time between North America and the UK and would work to become financially independent, the royal family and the rest of the world were caught off guard.
However, Meghan reportedly had the backing of her Los Angeles-based mother, who ‘was really worried about Meghan… and is relieved that her daughter is putting her mental health and well being first,’ the insider said.
The friend added: ‘Doria is very much about being true to oneself and so of course she will continue to encourage Meghan to take the road less traveled.’
