Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are having a traumatic week.
Source: Mike Coppola / Getty
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi in New York City on Tuesday night, Prince Harry’s spokesperson says.
According to reports from CNN, the couple was followed by a “swarm” of paparazzi, but luckily, there was no car accident. The incident happened after Harry accompanied Meghan to the Women of Vision Awards, which was held at the city’s Ziegfeld Ballroom. They were also accompanied by Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.
A spokesperson for the couple said: “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. This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.”
The statement went on to say the couple understand that 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.”
A law enforcement source told CNN that there was a swarm of paparazzi following Meghan and Harry in cars, motorcycles, and scooters. A NYPD protective team followed the couple in another car, and they had to do some evasive maneuvers to get away from the paparazzi. There were a lot of close calls–including short stops between front and backs of cars–but there was no accident, according to the source.
This news comes as a man suspected of stalking the couple was arrested outside their home in California early Tuesday morning. According to reports from TMZ, 29-year-old Kevin Garcia Valdovinos was allegedly seen “lurking” outside the mansion in Montecito at around 2am, later being booked on misdemeanor stalking charges after police attended the scene.
Valdovinos was reportedly released on $2,500 bail.
