Meghan Markle and Prince Harry spoke after allegations on a website that the British tabloid The Sun paid a private investigator to investigate his life.
The Sun US hired private investigator Dan Hanks to obtain information about Markle and his father Thomas in 2016, shortly after she started dating Prince Harry, according to a report by Byline Investigates.
“Hanks got the Markles’ private information by mistake, including their social security numbers – a crime in the United States as well as the United Kingdom,” the report alleges. “Six of his private phone numbers were also obtained from a protected database, including Meghan’s cell phone. Within days, The Sun published an article citing an anonymous ‘friend’, claiming that Prince Harry had ‘bombed Meghan with texts’ before his first meeting. “
The report, published on Thursday, also states that the tabloid frenzy surrounding the Markles ended up leading to a split in the family. “The Sun also tried to ‘dig a little’ about the Duchess of Sussex, commissioning Hanks to track down her ex-husband and two of her alleged ex-boyfriends,” says the report. “But it looks like they couldn’t find any scandal with the ‘Suits’ actress and instead used Hanks’ dossier to attack distant relatives, who criticized her success.”
A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in an emailed statement to Variety that the couple “feels that today is an important moment of reflection for the media industry and for society in general, as this investigative report shows that the predatory practices of yore are still ongoing, causing irreversible damage to families and relationships. They are grateful to those who work in the media and defend the values of journalism, which are needed now more than ever. “
Byline Investigates is a team of journalists based in London, funded by crowdsourcing, covering stories about other media organizations. The vehicle report was shared and verified by the BBC and the New York Times.
Hanks made a public apology for the Sussexes report and The Queen in the Byline Investigates.
“I am sorry to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry for targeting her family, especially her father, on behalf of The Sun. I never wanted to harm Meghan Markle and I would not have done the job if I knew it would lead to all these problems,” he said. Hanks. “I also wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to the Queen, because I know that the harm I did for The Sun has affected the whole family.”
In a statement, the editor of The Sun News Group Newspapers told the BBC: “In 2016, Sun made a legitimate request to Mr. Hanks to search for contact details and addresses for Meghan Markle and possible relatives using legal databases that he had a license to use. He received $ 250.
“Mr. Hanks was not charged with doing anything illegal or violating privacy laws – in fact, he was clearly instructed in writing to act legally and he signed a legal pledge that he would,” the statement said.
“The information he provided could not and did not raise any concerns that he had used illegal practices to obtain the information. At no time did Sun apply for Meghan Markle’s social security number, nor use the information he provided for any illegal practices. Sun complies with all laws and regulations and maintains strict protocols with respect to obtaining information from third parties. Strict compliance is in place to cover all of our reports.