Meghan Markle court case: Duchess DID help Finding Freedom authors despite previous denial, docs allege
MEGHAN Markle did help Finding Freedom authors despite previously claiming she had nothing to do with it, court documents alleged today.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have both previously denied having anything to do with the unauthorised autobiography.
But bombshell court documents have revealed that the couple authorised “specific cooperation” for certain topics on the book.
A witness statement from their former communications secretary Jason Knauf revealed that Meghan had an input on a series of topics that would feature in the book.
Mr Knauf has revealed that he sat down with Omid Scobie and Caroyln Durand in December 2018 to discuss Meghan’s chosen topics.
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It comes as:
- Meghan feared dad’s letter would leak and called him Daddy so ‘if it went public it would pull at the heartstrings’
- Meghan did HELP Finding Freedom authors despite saying she had nothing to do with it, court docs reveal
- Meghan refused Palace advice to visit Thomas Markle & blasts royals for ‘putting pressure on her and Harry’
According to court documents she wanted to make it clear to the authors that she had nothing to do with her estranged half-siblings growing up.
However he added that as far as he knows neither of the couple met directly with the authors during his time as their press secretary.
In his statement he said: “While the authors – both experienced Royal journalists involved in day-to-day reporting on the Royal Family - discussed it with me as part of normal contact with the Kensington Palace press office, the Duke and Duchess later authorised specific cooperation in writing in December 2018.
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“In relation to the authors’ request to be put directly in touch with friends of the Duchess I advised that 'this was not a good idea' and that 'being able to say hand on heart that we did not facilitate access will be important.'
“I also told him that I would meet the authors that week to help with 'factual accuracy and context.'
“The Duke replied the same day saying: '…I totally agree that we have to be able to say we didn’t have anything to do with it. Equally, you giving the right context and background to them would help get some truths out there.
“The truth is v much needed and would be appreciated, especially around the Markle/wedding stuff but at the same time we can’t put them directly in touch with her friends.”
Prince Harry also contacted Mr Knauf to ask: “are u planning on giving them a rough idea of what she’s been through over the last 2yrs?
“Media onslaught, cyber bullying on a different scale, puppeteering Thomas Markle etc etc etc.
“Even if they choose not to use it, they should hear what it was like from someone who was in the thick of it.
The truth is v much needed and would be appreciated
Prince Harry
“So if you aren’t planning on telling them, can I ?!”
In her list of topics to discuss with the authors, Meghan asked Mr Knauf to brief them on the “Thomas Markle situation”.
She also wanted them to be given background on their wedding planning, her charity work, Harry’s work with Invictus and the tiara fiasco.
However emails between the pair showed that Meghan was keen for her pals to not engage with the book, urging Mr Knauf to send out correspondence along those lines.
Meghan has always denied having anything to do with the book, with Mr Scobie confirming the suggestions as "false."
In her statement she says: "It is untrue that my husband and I (or either of us) spoke to the authors for the purposes of the Book.
"Nor did we meet with them 'in about late 2018', far less did we do so at any time to discuss 'the ways in which [we] would cooperate in the writing of the Book'.
"Mr Knauf responded to say that he was against the idea, essentially because he did not expect the Book to be hostile towards us and he did not want to offend the authors.
"While I did not agree with nor understand Mr Knauf’s perspective, I took his direction and did not send the pro-active email to my friends despite wanting to."
'HEARTSTRINGS'
Appeal court judges have today sensationally agreed for Mr Knauf’s bombshell statement to be made public.
His revelations have also revealed that Meghan knew her letters to her dad would be leaked, and even called him “daddy” to tug at the public’s heartstrings.
The former communications secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave Associated Newspapers a written statement as part of their appeal.
It comes after the newspaper published extracts of a five-page private letter she'd written to her dad begging him not to speak to the media about her.
Meghan won her battle at the High Court in February - but the publisher has appealed the decision.
Yesterday Meghan's “credibility” was sensationally questioned during the court hearing.
Mr Knauf's evidence reportedly shows Meghan’s account is “materially false” and “raises questions about her credibility”, the appeal hearing was told.
Lawyers want to use his statement as they bid to overturn a High Court ruling that publication of extracts of a letter Meghan, 40, wrote to dad Thomas Markle, 77, was a breach of copyright.
Further new evidence allegedly shows that Thomas sent Meghan several “affectionate” texts when he could not make her and Prince Harry’s wedding in May 2018 due to a heart attack.
'CREDIBILITY'
The messages are said to contradict a picture painted by a People magazine article in February 2019 that her father was uncaring.
Meghan denies knowing that five of her friends spoke about her to the magazine — which led to Thomas relaying the letter’s contents to The Mail on Sunday.
Mr Knauf was Harry’s communications secretary for four years from February 2015, and Meghan’s following the pair’s marriage.
It later emerged he reported claims of bullying made by staff against Meghan to palace top brass, which are vigorously denied by the Duchess.
Mr Knauf still works for Prince William and Kate at Kensington Palace.
Meghan’s legal team are opposing the appeal and argue the High Court judge reached the right conclusions on evidence before him.
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The publisher’s appeal is being heard over three days.
Last night Meghan insisted she was “standing up for what was right” in the court fight.
