It was a close call for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland. On Tuesday, May 16, the trio were involved in a “near-catastrophic” car chase after 12 paparazzi allegedly followed them upon their departure from Women of Vision Awards, according to a spokesperson for the royal couple.


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“Last night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi,” the representative told Reuters of the “relentless pursuit,” one that reportedly lasted “over two hours.” However, many loons online are calling the crash a "hoax" likening the story to Jussie Smollett. 






The chase “resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers,” they explained, adding that “While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.”


The NYPost reported that the  NYPD is investigating the incident, which of course they would, as the claims that paparazzi caused the royals to crash is a very serious matter, how many people online read that as the NYPD investigating them and not the rabid paps following them. 




This is far from the only dangerous run-in between the Royal family and paparazzi. On August 31, 1997, Harry’s mother Princess Diana died in a car accident in a tunnel in Paris, France, after her vehicle was “pursued by so-called paparazzi,” BBC News reported of the incident. Diana was 36 years old. Diana’s partner, Egyptian filmmaker Dodi Fayed and the car’s driver, Henri Paul, also died in the collision. Her bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the only person to survive the crash.



Despite being largely pinned on the photographers, “No charges were brought against the paparazzi who had been pursuing the princess' car,” the British news outlet later reported.



As news of Harry and Meghan’s recent incident made headlines, some reporters took to social media, noting the eerie similarities between the crash and the circumstances surrounding Diana’s death.


“You can’t see this and not think of what happened to Harry’s mom Princess Diana,” CNN’s Sara Snider wrote on Twitter shortly after the story broke.


Yet some were less than convinced by the Royals' scary encounter, taking to social media to allege that the entire ordeal was a hoax.



“I lived in Manhattan for 17 yrs & it is not possible to have a 2hr ‘car chase’ there,” wrote former Fox News anchor/notable blackface defender Megyn Kelly in a tweet shared to her more than 2.8 million followers. “Too many street lights/stop signs, too much foot/car traffic & hundreds of places you could safely pull over to protect yourself.”


“Also if they really want to avoid the paparazzi perhaps the Duchess should stop using them so obviously when she wants to see herself in the paper,” Kelly added noting that. “The relationship can get complicated.”