Prior to the release of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's extended sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, Victoria Arbiter, her father Dickie Arbiter (Queen Elizabeth II's former spokesman), and several other royal commentators participated in interviews.
The production company behind the interviews had informed the commentators that they would be providing background context and speaking about the interview in the past tense as part of a special program to be pre-recorded and aired after the Oprah broadcast.
However, the group fell victim to a prank by YouTube content creators Archie Matters and Josh Peters. They released the interviews as if Harry and Meghan's interview had already taken place before the official broadcast. The video, titled "We Proved Royal Experts Lie About Harry and Meghan," caused significant damage.
After the video was released, Arbiter's contract with CNN in the United States was not renewed, and she claimed that other job offers were rescinded, leaving her unable to earn a living. Despite maintaining her innocence, she faced an avalanche of hate and false accusations on social media.
The situation spiraled out of control, with Arbiter being bombarded with accusations of being a liar, Nazi supporter, white supremacist, and apartheid supporter. The inflammatory comments and slander affected her both personally and professionally.
Although Arbiter swiftly requested that Manners and Peters remove her sections from the video, the damage had already been done. The consequences were severe, resulting in the loss of her work, pension, and health insurance.
She has since spent all her savings on legal fees, as the evidence clearly indicates that she did not lie or do anything wrong. While believing she has a strong legal case against the pranksters for defamation, Arbiter has decided to give up the fight due to the exorbitant costs of pursuing the case within the UK justice system.
Two and a half years later, Arbiter expresses gratitude for her lawyers' support but acknowledges the financial limitations she faces. The YouTube video, without Arbiter's parts, has garnered significant attention, currently surpassing 1.6 million views, with thousands of likes and comments.
This incident has had a profound impact on Arbiter's life and professional standing. She had hoped for a private resolution and an apology from the YouTubers, but their apology merely expressed regret that she participated in their video.
Arbiter emphasizes that she did nothing wrong, and despite the challenges she faces, she continues to deal with the consequences. The YouTube video's popularity underscores the interest in the intriguing world of royalty.
