UNFORTUNATE ACQUAINTANCES

Prince Harry Claims Murdoch Newspaper Named Him in Diddy Case as Revenge

Newly released legal documents from Harry’s lawsuit make the claim.

Prince Harry accused U.K. tabloid The Sun of pursuing a vendetta against him after it published a story saying—accurately—that he had been named in Sean Combs' sex-trafficking lawsuit.

Harry’s claimed that the Sun, part of the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Group Newspapers (NGN), said the Sun has published “a large number of false and highly derogatory articles” “in retaliation” for his claims of phone-hacking and unlawful information-gathering.

Harry settled with the Sun earlier this year after the paper issued a full apology and admitted to having wrongly harassed him and his late mother.

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His complaint about the Diddy story formed part of his case, details of which were released to the media after an application by the U.K.’s Guardian newspaper.

Harry said the articles had “a hugely negative impact on his mental health and that of his wife and children.”

NGN denied it was motivated by revenge, saying, “The Sun publishes stories about the Duke of Sussex which are justified because of the role he holds and the actions he has taken.”

In the newly released court documents setting out Harry’s claims, he alleges that “NGN has published in the Sun or Sun on Sunday a large number of false and highly derogatory articles about the Duke of Sussex, plainly in retaliation, including articles that suggested he has somehow ‘betrayed’ his family, has ‘lied’ about them to garner sympathy, is a ‘traitor’ to his country and, perhaps most damaging of all, has been named in a high-profile sex-trafficking case.”

The document went on to allege that articles published by The Sun have put such a “strain on his relationship with the royal family that he was forced to leave the institution and relocate to North America, leaving behind all that he knew and held dear.”

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The Sun ran a front-page story in March 2024 under the headline, “Harry named in P Diddy sex traffic case.” The article said that “bombshell legal filings allege Diddy used Harry’s name to give ‘legitimacy’ to wild parties where ‘serious illegal activity’ took place.”

The story was based on a case brought by one of Diddy’s former producers, Rodney Jones, and stated at the bottom of the fourth paragraph that Harry had not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Jones, who said he was groped, harassed, and threatened by Combs, said in the suit that Diddy’s co-defendants were rewarded “for participating in and facilitating Combs’ sex trafficking venture” by getting “affiliation and access to Mr Combs’ popularity.”

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Jones added, “Mr. Combs was known for throwing the ‘best’ parties. Affiliation with, and or sponsorship of Mr. Combs’ sex-trafficking parties garnered legitimacy and access to celebrities such as famous athletes, political figures, artists, musicians, and international dignitaries like British royal, Prince Harry.”

The Daily Beast also covered the Jones allegations, noting: “While it can be argued it is deeply unfair for Harry to be singled out by name when he has done nothing wrong and others are not named, his naming in the suit exposes the particular need for members of the British royal family to be ultra-cautious about whom they associate with and under what conditions.”

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Tom SykesEuropean Editor at Large

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