Megyn Kelly shot down “bulls–t” claims by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that they were involved in a “near-catastrophic” paparazzi chase through the streets of New York City on Tuesday night.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were traveling along with Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, 66, in Manhattan after leaving the Ziegfeld Theater in Manhattan on Tuesday night when they were followed by around a dozen photographers, according to Page Six.
The couple and Ragland, who attended a gala at the venue, were being driven in an SUV as they were tailed by the paparazzi, according to Page Six.
They then decided to ditch the SUV and jump into a yellow cab in hopes of evading the photographers, according to reports.
“I lived in Manhattan for 17 yrs & it is not possible to have a 2hr ‘car chase’ there,” Kelly tweeted in response to the Page Six story.
“Too many street lights/stop signs, too much foot/car traffic & hundreds of places you could safely pull over to protect yourself.”
In a subsequent tweet, Kelly wrote: “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.”
“The relationship can get complicated.”
A source told Page Six that a cameraman hit a car while another almost ran over an NYPD officer during what was described as a “near-fatal” chase.
“It started off with 12 paparazzi, then ended up with four chasing [Meghan, Harry and Doria],” a source told Page Six.
“Their security tried their best to lose [photographers].”
When the three crowded into a taxi, the prince used his cell phone to record the chaos, Page Six reported.
Uniformed NYPD officers then confronted paparazzi, who ignored warnings and continued pursuing the three, sources told Page Six.
“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,” a spokesperson for the Sussexes told Page Six.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”
“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 rep for the couple added.
Ragland was reportedly left “terrified” by the ordeal.
“Everyone is still upset, to say the least. It was horrific,” a source tells us.
Kelly, who called Markle “the duchess of duplicity” on her SiriusXM podcast on Wednesday, was skeptical of the couple’s claims.
“I mean, near catastrophic is what we all have every time we look down to change the radio while we’re driving in our cars or engage in the stupidity of checking a text or our phones while we’re driving,” Kelly said.
She added: “I’ve got questions in particular because they have a history of lying as you know, and even of exaggerating their alleged car chases.”
Kelly also commented on the couple’s frequent complaints that their privacy is being invaded by the press.
“Well, sorry you two, but you’re in America now,” Kelly said.
“And in America, the press has the right to photograph you when you’re in a public place, or on the streets, or leaving a place like the Ziegfeld Theatre.”
“I’ve been followed as well, but it’s part of life in this country where we still have freedom of the press,” the former Fox News star said.
“You don’t like it? Go back home for the love of God!”
“Take your wife with you. I don’t know how we got saddled with you to begin with,” Kelly said.
She recalled being followed by paparazzi in Manhattan while visiting the office of a plastic surgeon to remove a small, cancerous legion from her skin.
Kelly said that a photographer was “taking photographs [of her] from under the umbrella” that she was carrying during the rainy day.
“Did I run to the papers and say, ‘I’ve been in danger! I have cancer!’?”
“I could have pulled that,” she said.
“Bulls–t! Most people who are in the public eye take it like a man or a woman and we move on with our day because we understand they have a job to do and dealing with the press is part of our job too.”
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
