Meghan denounces ‘predatory’ reports that led to her sister

Meghan denounces ‘predatory’ reports that led to her sister

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry expressed gratitude to journalists who reported the revelations that a private investigator in the United States, who said he acknowledged having illegally obtained personal information, had led to tabloid stories about the couple, including an unflattering story about the sock – sister of the duchess.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex feel that today is an important time for reflection for the media industry and society in general, as this investigative report shows that the predatory practices of days gone by are still underway, reaping damage irreversible to families and relationships, ”the couple said in a statement.

Daniel Portley-Hanks, a veteran Los Angeles private investigator known as Danno, told the BBC and the New York Times that he was hired by The Sun newspaper in the fall of 2016 to investigate Meghan’s personal life. The work came at a time when the tabloids were eager for news about the Los Angeles-born TV actress Harry had started dating.

The Sun said it requested a legitimate search and told Hanks that he must act legally, the BBC reported. But the “comprehensive report on Meghan and her family,” which Portley-Hanks passed on to The Sun, included her phone number, addresses and social security number, as well as information about her ex-husband and ex-boyfriend.

In the United States, licensed private investigators like Portley-Hanks have the right to access databases to obtain such information on behalf of clients for use in civil and criminal cases, the New York Times said. But it is a violation of US privacy statutes for investigators to pass this information on to news organizations.

Portley-Hanks said he sold his information to The Sun editor in the United States, James Beal, for $ 2,055, the New York Times reported.

“Almost everything I found out, they were able to find out through legal means – with the exception of social security numbers,” Portley-Hanks told the BBC. “When you have this information … it is the key to the kingdom.”

The Sun used the information to produce a series of “exclusives” about Meghan’s story and her romance with Harry, the New York Times reported. A gossipy story about how Harry was supposed to be so desperately anxious to go out with Meghan after meeting her that he “surrounded her with text messages until she agreed to date,” reported the New York Times.

Another story possibly featured the first interview with Samantha Markle, Meghan’s half sister. The interview became Samantha Markle’s first opportunity to push what has become her main narrative – that Meghan is an ambitious and heartless social climber who abandoned her family when she became famous and found a prince to marry.

Meghan told Winfrey that she and her half sister – they share the same father, Thomas Markle – have never been close and that their last contact with Samantha was almost 20 years ago. The duchess suggested that Samantha change her surname back to “Markle” after she started dating Harry in order to explore the connection.

Samantha Markle applauded back after the interview with Winfrey, telling an Australian radio show that she feels sorry for Harry because he left his life in the royal family and in the UK to move to California with Meghan.

“I feel sorry for Harry. She took him away from his family, from all his friends, from the life he knew, “said the Florida resident, who has also been promoting her new memories,” Princess Pushy’s Sister’s Diary, Part 1. “

Speaking of Meghan and Samantha’s father, the data that Portley-Hanks provided The Sun also helped the tabloid locate Thomas Markle.

The retired Hollywood lighting director moved away from Meghan after he was caught working with a paparazzo for photos of himself even before his royal wedding in May 2018. The duchess ended communications with him after he gave interviews that were embarrassing for her and Harry and after he left the Daily Mail to publish excerpts from a letter she had written to him.

In their interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan talked about their tense relationship with the tabloid press, which they said created a “toxic environment” and was widely blamed for leaving the UK.

Meghan recently won a privacy invasion lawsuit that she filed against the editor of the Daily Mail, who shared the contents of her letter to her father. Harry is also suing the publisher of The Sun and the former editor of the Daily Mirror for allegations of phone intrusion before 2011.

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