The presence of numerous photographers made it arduous for the Sussexes to navigate, as stated by the police. However, no collisions, injuries, or arrests were reported. According to the couple's spokesperson, the encounter with the paparazzi was protracted and perilous. They remarked, "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 couple's security team, along with two individuals involved, described the incident as chaotic. They revealed that the paparazzi employed various vehicles, including cars, scooters, mopeds, and electric bikes. During the chase, the Sussexes had to switch cars. Thomas Buda, who operates a private security business contracted to assist the couple, stated that the chase commenced as soon as Harry and Meghan departed from the Ziegfeld Ballroom, lasting for approximately 90 minutes.
According to Buda, the paparazzi were eager to discover the couple's whereabouts while they were in New York City. They ran red lights, disregarding pedestrians crossing the road, and even drove against oncoming traffic on 34th Street in Manhattan, violating the one-way street rule. Chris Sanchez, a member of the couple's security team who exclusively spoke to CNN, expressed his alarm at the incident. He said, "I have never seen or experienced anything like this. What we were dealing with was very chaotic."
Sanchez added that the Sussexes were frightened, but their anxiety subsided upon their return to the apartment where they were staying. He stressed that the public was endangered multiple times and that the situation could have been fatal. To mitigate the increasingly hazardous game of cat and mouse, the security team relocated the Duke and Duchess to the 19th police precinct on East 67th Street.
From there, a yellow taxi transported them around the block, back to the police station. Recounting the surreal experience, the taxi driver, Sukhcharn Singh, spoke to CNN, saying, "I've been driving since 2018, and this was the first time I witnessed such a scene. Other celebrities never received that level of attention from the paparazzi." Singh recalled that as soon as the Duke and Duchess entered his cab, before they could provide directions, "all of a sudden the paparazzi just stormed the taxi. There were flashes coming from every direction, and they surrounded the car, taking pictures."
At one point, a security guard accompanying them in the cab intervened to request the paparazzi to move away. Singh himself did not feel personally threatened, but he noticed that both the Duke and Duchess appeared visibly nervous. "The look on their faces revealed their anxiety and fear," Singh remembered. After a ten-minute ride, Singh dropped off Harry and Meghan at the 19th precinct in Manhattan. Despite the fare amounting to only $17.50, they gave him $50.00 as payment.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) corroborated the Sussexes' account, albeit using less colorful language in their statement. Julian Phillips, the NYPD's deputy commissioner for public information, affirmed that the department had assisted the private security team responsible for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. He acknowledged the presence of numerous photographers that made transportation challenging but assured that there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests regarding the incident.
The spokesperson for the couple emphasized that while being public figures naturally attracts public interest, it should never come at the expense of anyone's safety. They urged the media to refrain from publishing photographs taken during the incident, stating that the dissemination of these images encourages a highly intrusive and dangerous practice due to the questionable methods used to obtain them.
According to the couple's team, the incident involved approximately six unidentified vehicles driving recklessly and posing a threat to the couple's convoy and those in the vicinity. This account was supported by a local law enforcement source who informed CNN that after leaving the event on Tuesday, the couple was pursued by a "swarm" of paparazzi in cars, motorcycles, and scooters. The New York Police Department (NYPD) provided a protective team that accompanied Harry and Meghan in another vehicle and had to perform evasive maneuvers to distance themselves from the paparazzi, as confirmed by the source.
The source further described how paparazzi on scooters and bikes aggressively navigated the sidewalk to keep up with the convoy. Although there were numerous close calls, including sudden stops between cars, no collisions occurred, according to the source.
Eventually, the couple's convoy sought refuge at a police precinct to regroup, the source revealed.
Buckingham Palace, representing King Charles, and Kensington Palace, representing Prince William, declined to comment on the incident when approached by CNN.
Mayor Eric Adams of New York City condemned the paparazzi's actions as "reckless" and "irresponsible." In response to questions during an unrelated briefing, Adams emphasized that speeding anywhere is unacceptable, particularly in a densely populated city, recalling the tragic death of Harry's mother.
Adams stressed the importance of prioritizing public safety over obtaining the perfect shot or story. He expressed his concerns about the paparazzi's behavior and the need to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The Duke of Sussex has been vocal about his family's security, often drawing parallels between his wife's treatment and the experiences his mother, Diana, faced. Diana, the late Princess of Wales, tragically passed away in 1997 as a result of a high-speed car crash in Paris that caused internal injuries.
In their Netflix docuseries, Harry refuted critics who claimed the couple had an issue with the paparazzi. He acknowledged that while paparazzi still engage in harassment, the nature of it has shifted more towards online platforms. Once photographs are released and paired with accompanying stories, social media harassment ensues. Witnessing his loved ones, particularly his wife, being subjected to this feeding frenzy, Harry likened it to a predator-prey dynamic and expressed the difficulties it brings.
