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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have spoken out following claims from a website that British tabloid The Sun paid a private investigator to dig into his life.
The Sun US hired private investigator Dan Hanks to get information on Markle and his father Thomas in 2016, shortly after he started dating Prince Harry, according to a report by Byline Investigates.
“Hanks obtained the Markles’ private information by deception, including their Social Security numbers – a criminal offense in both the United States and the United Kingdom,” the report says. “Six of their private phone numbers were also obtained from a secure database, including Meghan’s mobile. Within days, The Sun had published an article citing an anonymous ‘friend’, claiming that Prince Harry had ‘bombarded Meghan with texts’ before their first date.
The report, released Thursday, also says the tabloid frenzy around the Markles ultimately led to a family break-up. “The Sun also attempted to ‘dig the dirt’ on the Duchess of Sussex, instructing Hanks to track down her ex-husband and two of her supposed former boyfriends,” the report said. “But it appears they found no scandal about the ‘Suits’ actress and instead used Hanks’ file to target distant relatives, who shot her success.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement emailed to Variety that the couple “believe that today is an important moment of reflection for the media industry and society as a whole, as this investigative report shows that the predatory practices of days gone by are still ongoing, resulting in irreversible damage to families and relationships. They are grateful to those who work in the media who defend the values of journalism, which are needed more than ever.
Byline Investigates is a London-based, crowd-funded team of journalists covering stories about other media organizations. The outlet report was shared and verified by the BBC and The New York Times.
Hanks issued a public apology to the Sussexes and the Queen in the Byline Investigates report.
“I am sorry for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry for targeting her family, especially her father, on behalf of The Sun. I never meant to harm Meghan Markle, and I wouldn’t have done the job if I had known it would lead to all of these problems, ”Hanks said. “I also wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to the Queen, as I realize that what I did for The Sun affected the whole family.”
In a statement, the editor of the Sun News Group Newspapers told the BBC: “In 2016, the Sun legitimately asked Mr Hanks to research the contact details and addresses of Meghan Markle and possible relatives using databases. of legal data that he had a license to use. He was paid $ 250.
“Mr. Hanks was not instructed to do anything illegal or to violate privacy laws – indeed, he was clearly instructed in writing to act legally and he signed a legal commitment that he would, “the statement read.
“The information he provided could not and did not raise concerns that he used illegal practices to obtain this information. At no time did the Sun ask for Meghan Markle’s social security number, or use the information he provided for an illegal practice. The Sun follows all laws and regulations and maintains strict protocols for obtaining information from third parties. Strict compliance is in place to cover all of our reports. “
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