Meghan Markle admits passing info to Finding Freedom authors through go-between but says it wasn’t ‘to enhance image’
MEGHAN Markle admits passing information to the authors of Finding Freedom using a go-between but claims it wasn’t to “enhance her image”.
The Duchess of Sussex is suing Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, for releasing a letter she wrote to her estranged dad, Thomas Markle.
Read our Meghan and Harry blog for the latest news on the Royal couple
The newspaper argues the 39-year-old “co-operated” with the authors of Finding Freedom.
She was accused of feeding personal information to the writers to “set out her own version of events in a way that is favourable to her” – therefore breaching her own privacy.
Her amended court documents released today show she spoke with someone who had been approached by authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand to set the record straight regarding her dad.
The papers state Meghan was “concerned her father’s narrative” over her abandoning him, which she says was false, would be repeated in the book.
They add: “Accordingly, she indicated to a person whom she knew had already been approached by the authors that the true position as above… could be communicated to the authors to prevent any further misrepresentation.”
But the document says neither Meghan or Harry co-operated with the authors to reveal their “version of events”.
She also denies using the letter to her dad as a “media strategy to improve or enhance her knowledge”.
COURT BATTLE
Meghan’s lawyers fought the decision to include the explosive biography in the crunch case, but Mr Justice Warby ignored their pleas.
The Duchess and her team have consistently denied involvement, with the authors maintaining information came from friends and sources.
One author, Omid Scobie, has insisted he did not speak to Meghan as he faces taking the stand in her privacy battle.
Scobie claims in his witness statement it was “false” to suggest Harry or Meghan collaborated, which made explosive claims about the couple and their split from the Royal Family.
He said: “They did not authorise the book and have never been interviewed for it. The book was always prepared on the understanding that it was to be independent and unauthorised.
‘NEVER BEEN INTERVIEWED’
“As journalists we wanted to be able to look into the other side of the story without worrying about offending any collaborators/sources.”
He and fellow author Carolyn Durand previously argued references in the book, published in August, were simply “extracts from the letter lifted from the defendant’s own articles”.
Today Mr Justice Warby delivered his reasons for agreeing to delay proceedings for nine months in a largely redacted document, despite her dad warning “I could die tomorrow”.
Thomas has not been told the “confidential” reason for the nine-month delay, requested by Meghan’s team, and is reportedly concerned about the wait.
In a previous statement to the court, the dad had said he wanted his chance to hit back on Meghan’s claims his version of events are false.
A ten-day trial was set to take place in London on January 11 next year, with Meghan possibly expected to give evidence in the witness box – but has been pushed to Autumn 2021.
Finding Freedom is a tell-all about the Sussexes experience when they quit as senior royals in what become dubbed Megxit.
Meghan is suing ANL over five articles in total, two in the MoS and three on MailOnline, which were published in February 2019, and reproduced parts of a handwritten letter she sent to her father in August 2018.
The headline on the article read: “Revealed: The letter showing true tragedy of Meghan’s rift with a father she says has ‘broken her heart into a million pieces’.”
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The duchess is seeking damages from ANL for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act.
ANL wholly denies the allegations, particularly the duchess’s claim that the letter was edited in any way that changed its meaning, and says it will hotly contest the case.
The Mail on Sunday also claims Meghan knew it was “likely” her father, Thomas, would publicly share the letter, and had given a copy to the Kensington Palace communications team.