Meghan Markle's Ex-PR Chief Regrets Not Giving Evidence After Duchess Won Lawsuit Against UK Tabloid
07:02 GMT 12.11.2021 (Updated: 15:16 GMT 28.05.2023)
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In 2019, the Duchess of Sussex sued the publisher of The Mail on Sunday over the publication of a letter she wrote to her estranged father Thomas. The royal claimed the newspaper violated her privacy and selectively edited it to portray her in a negative light. The court sided with the Duchess. This week the publisher has appealed the verdict.
Meghan Markle's former communications secretary Jason Knauf has said he "regretted" not giving evidence during the royal's legal battle with Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) that ended this February with the Duchess of Sussex winning the case. He made the statement on Thursday during the final day of a court hearing in which ANL attempted to appeal the earlier verdict.
The court heard that after the February ruling was announced a source close to Mr Knauf contacted the publisher and said that the PR chief felt contrite he didn't provide evidence to the court. Jason Knauf's legal team said his position in the case was "strictly neutral" and that he didn't want to be involved in the litigation.
The court heard that after the February ruling was announced a source close to Mr Knauf contacted the publisher and said that the PR chief felt contrite he didn't provide evidence to the court. Jason Knauf's legal team said his position in the case was "strictly neutral" and that he didn't want to be involved in the litigation.
"Given the high-profile nature of this litigation and the likelihood of his evidence (if admitted) being widely reported, as well as the position he holds, it is hardly conceivable that he would say anything he did not believe to be true and I know of nothing in his evidence which is subject to any reasonable challenge", said Keith Mathieson, a solicitor for ANL.
Letter to Thomas Markle and New Evidence in the Case
In 2019, The Mail on Sunday published five articles that contained excerpts of a private letter Meghan Markle wrote to her father Thomas a year earlier. The Duchess of Sussex has had a strained relationship with her dad since 2018, when he arranged a photoshoot with a tabloid, showing him getting prepared for his daughter's wedding.
He said he did this in order to improve his image, as previously the media had published photos of him doing menial tasks. He admitted to having lied about the photoshoot to the couple, telling them he had no agreement with the tabloid. Soon after the rift, Thomas Markle suffered a heart attack and missed the wedding.
In the letter, Meghan Markle called on her father to stop attacking her and Prince Harry in the media.
He said he did this in order to improve his image, as previously the media had published photos of him doing menial tasks. He admitted to having lied about the photoshoot to the couple, telling them he had no agreement with the tabloid. Soon after the rift, Thomas Markle suffered a heart attack and missed the wedding.
In the letter, Meghan Markle called on her father to stop attacking her and Prince Harry in the media.
"Your actions have broken my heart into a million pieces not simply because you have manufactured such unnecessary and unwarranted pain, but by making the choice to not tell the truth as you are puppeteered in this. Please allow us to live our lives in peace. Please stop lying, please stop creating so much pain, please stop exploiting my relationship with my husband", the Duchess of Sussex wrote.
Thomas Markle leaked the letter to The Mail on Sunday, which published it, selectively editing some parts, prompting the royal to sue the tabloid's publisher Associated Newspapers Limited.
Meghan Markle argued that the publication was a breach of her privacy and copyright infringement and that the newspaper edited the letter to portray her in a negative light. The judge ruled that the publication was unlawful.
Meghan Markle argued that the publication was a breach of her privacy and copyright infringement and that the newspaper edited the letter to portray her in a negative light. The judge ruled that the publication was unlawful.
ANL appealed the verdict after it obtained evidence from Meghan Markle's former PR chief Jason Knauf. He claimed that prior to sending the letter to her father the Duchess of Sussex asked him "to review" the text and said that it was drafted "with the understanding that it could be leaked".
Mr Knauf also alleged that Meghan Markle asked him whether she should address Thomas Markle as "daddy", adding that "in the unfortunate event that it leaked, it would pull at the heartstrings".
ANL's solicitors insist that the previous verdict should be overturned, arguing that Meghan Markle wrote the letter "with public consumption in mind".
The royal's lawyers said that although the 40-year-old knew that the letter might be leaked to the press, she didn't want it to be seen publicly.
Mr Knauf also alleged that Meghan Markle asked him whether she should address Thomas Markle as "daddy", adding that "in the unfortunate event that it leaked, it would pull at the heartstrings".
ANL's solicitors insist that the previous verdict should be overturned, arguing that Meghan Markle wrote the letter "with public consumption in mind".
The royal's lawyers said that although the 40-year-old knew that the letter might be leaked to the press, she didn't want it to be seen publicly.
"To be clear, I did not want any of it to be published, and wanted to ensure that the risk of it being manipulated or misleadingly edited was minimised, were it to be exploited", the Meghan Markle said in a written statement.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had a tense relationship with the UK media, which they accused of invading their privacy and writing fake reports about them. The couple has even filed several defamation suits.
This February, Prince Harry won a case against The Mail on Sunday, over an article in which the newspaper claimed that the Duke of Sussex had "snubbed" the Royal Marines after he quit royal life and moved to the United States. The newspaper published an apology. He also sued The Sun and The Daily Mirror for "illegal interception" of his voicemail messages.
In their infamous interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry said that the toxic and racist treatment of Meghan Markle by the UK press was one of the reasons the couple decided to step down from senior roles in the Royal Family and move to North America.
This February, Prince Harry won a case against The Mail on Sunday, over an article in which the newspaper claimed that the Duke of Sussex had "snubbed" the Royal Marines after he quit royal life and moved to the United States. The newspaper published an apology. He also sued The Sun and The Daily Mirror for "illegal interception" of his voicemail messages.
In their infamous interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry said that the toxic and racist treatment of Meghan Markle by the UK press was one of the reasons the couple decided to step down from senior roles in the Royal Family and move to North America.
