Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are back in the headlines, and once again, it’s not for anything particularly constructive. This time, their hurt feelings have taken center stage, with actress Justine Bateman as the source of their outrage. Bateman, unafraid to speak her mind, called out the couple for what she described as “disaster tourism” during their visit to wildfire-stricken Los Angeles.
Harry and Meghan, who reside a comfortable 145 kilometers away in their $29 million Montecito mansion, decided to make an appearance to “help.” Dressed down in plain clothes, the duo handed out food packages, spoke to survivors, and, of course, ensured the cameras were rolling. However, Bateman, best known for her role on *Arrested Development*, wasn’t buying it. She took to social media to criticize their visit, calling it a “repulsive photo op” and dubbing the pair “ambulance chasers.”
As expected, Meghan and Harry didn’t take the criticism lightly. A source close to the couple claimed they were deeply offended by Bateman’s remarks. Meghan, who has strong ties to Los Angeles, reportedly felt heartbroken by the tragedy and insisted her actions were far from a publicity stunt. According to the source, her intentions were purely to help, as Los Angeles is her home. Cue the collective eye roll.
If this visit wasn’t a photo op, why was every angle of their “selfless” visit plastered across social media? Did their PR team miss the memo on subtlety? Bateman didn’t hold back. During an appearance on *Piers Morgan Uncensored*, she doubled down on her critique, saying, “I don’t know why they were walking over possible human remains. I don’t know who these people are. I don’t know why there is an official tour. The whole thing is really so out of place, so ridiculous, so tone-deaf.”
And honestly, she’s not wrong. Bateman’s pointed remarks highlight what many are too polite to say: Harry and Meghan are out of their league. They hold no official role in the U.S. or the U.K., yet they continue to insert themselves into disaster zones as if they’re international governors-general. Who invited them, anyway? Oh, right – the actual governor and mayor, who apparently thought hosting these “disaster tourists” was a good idea, even as people’s lives lay in ashes.
To make matters worse, their visit ignored the sacred nature of the wildfire sites. Entire livelihoods were reduced to rubble – homes, pets, wildlife, and people’s memories turned to ashes. Yet here come the Duke and Duchess of Drama, strolling through tragedy and turning someone else’s pain into their spotlight moment.
This isn’t a one-off incident. Harry and Meghan’s modus operandi seems to be making everything about themselves: hurt feelings, publicized victimhood, and clapbacks to criticism. They appear to have more time for PR schemes and carefully staged appearances than for genuine acts of service. This latest controversy is just another chapter in their long history of tone-deaf actions, from Harry’s silence on African conservation issues to Meghan’s seemingly endless victim narratives. It’s a never-ending cycle of “feel sorry for us.”
At some point, you’d think they’d stop broadcasting their every move and quietly donate money or volunteer in private. But no – the spotlight is too alluring.
In the end, Justine Bateman’s takedown of these so-called humanitarians was sharp, honest, and exactly what needed to be said. The world doesn’t need disaster tourists wandering through tragedy zones for photo ops. It needs real action, real compassion, and far less fake royal drama.
