The mayor of New York City is calling out the paparazzi.
On Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams shared his reaction to claims by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that they were chased in their car through New York by photographers.
The alleged incident occurred on Tuesday night in Midtown Manhattan, after the couple left the Women of Vision Awards where Markle was an honouree.
Speaking to reporters, Adams likened the incident to the death of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, who was killed when her car crashed while being chased through Paris by paparazzi.
“And I think all of us, I don’t think there’s many of us, who don’t recall how his mom died. And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well,” Adams said, according to CBS News. “So I think we have to be extremely responsible. I thought that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.”
READ MORE: Meghan Markle Accepts Award In New York With Prince Harry And Her Mom In Tow
Earlier in the day, the royal couple released a statement detailing the incident.
“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 statement said.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. 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.”
In a statement to ET, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of public information, Julian Phillips, said: “On Wednesday evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”
