Harry Slams British Tabloid as Meghan Sues

The Duchess of Sussex—or, as she was known before she married Prince Harry, Meghan Markle—is suing a British tabloid over claims that it illegally published a personal letter she wrote, the AP reports. A spokesperson for the law firm handling the case says the Mail on Sunday's "intrusive" publication of the letter was copyright infringement, misuse of private information, and a violation of data protection law. And in what CNN calls "an extraordinary statement" posted on the couple's official website, Prince Harry accused the tabloid of vilifying his wife throughout her pregnancy and maternity leave. "[M]y deepest fear is history repeating itself," he writes. "I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces."

"The contents of a private letter were published unlawfully in an intentionally destructive manner to manipulate you, the reader, and further the divisive agenda of the media group in question," he writes. "In addition to their unlawful publication of this private document, they purposely misled you by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words to mask the lies they had perpetuated for over a year." The Mail on Sunday says in a statement that it "stands by the story it published and will be defending this case vigorously. Specifically, we categorically deny that the Duchess's letter was edited in any way that changed its meaning." BuzzFeed reports that the lawsuit refers to a letter from the duchess to her father that was published by the tabloid in February.

(More Meghan Markle stories.)