Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have dismissed reports they are suing the creators of South Park over a recent episode that took aim at the royal couple.
Titled ‘The Worldwide Privacy Tour’, the episode saw a parody version of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex move to South Park in an attempt to find some privacy, despite clearly seeking attention by going on press tours, shouting in public, and setting off fireworks in their front garden.
In one scene, the Markle-like character is described as the prince’s “Instagram-loving bitch wife”, while Harry’s cartoon counterpart promotes his new autobiography, titled “Waaagh”.
The episode also saw the couple holding “we want our privacy” signs as they travelled to different locations around the world, parodying the sentiment shared by many critics when the ex-royals released their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan.
Following the release of the episode on February 15, Markle was reportedly left “upset and overwhelmed” by the portrayal of herself and her husband. Royal commentators, such as Neil Sean, subsequently suggested that there could be legal ramifications for writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. CREDIT: Getty Images
Sean told Fox News: “According to sources close to the ex-royals, it appears that, like so many things with Meghan and Harry, this may have legal ramifications attached. Their legal team are casting an eye over the episode to see what is wrong, and what could be turned into something more sinister.”
However, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess has dismissed claims of any potential lawsuit, telling People: “It’s all frankly nonsense. Totally baseless, boring reports.”
The episode was largely praised by viewers, becoming a trending topic on Twitter the day after it aired.
Piers Morgan, who has been outspoken of his dislike for Markle, particularly enjoyed it, tweeting: “The South Park rinsing of Meghan & Harry is lethally brilliant… suspect this is how most Americans now feel about them.”
Elsewhere, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone confirmed last year that their deepfake film about Donald Trump is currently “on hold”.
Parker and Stone had previously worked with Peter Serafinowicz on the viral web series Sassy Justice, which used deepfake technology to project the faces of celebrities and politicians onto fictional characters. Some of the notable figures included Trump, Mark Zuckerberg and Jared Kushner.
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