H&M vs Backgrid

[PicturesOfDogs]

H&M have apparently ’demanded’ pap footage from Backgrid, according to TMZ.

Their lawyer has replied with the following:

In America, as I'm sure you know, property belongs to the owner of it: Third parties cannot just demand it be given to them, as perhaps Kings can do. Perhaps you should sit down with your client and advise them that his English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown were rejected by this country long ago. We stand by our founding fathers

Court case #6 incoming?

https://amp.tmz.com/2023/05/18/prince-harry-meghan-markle-demand-photo-agency-give-them-footage-of-chase/

I have lived and worked in NYC. I have family there. It’s like a second home city to me. I don’t buy it. Even the mayor didn’t buy it.

Taxis don't have blacked out windows but I can see why travelling in a yellow cab might be seen as a good way to get home. If you were in the UK wouldn't you use a common car like a Focus or Corsa to try and slip away? I assume that security agreed with the plan and until another professional comments I would assume that it's not outrageous.

At least one security expert thought it was a bad ideaSee here

Good to see some neutral experts giving a more balanced view.

Do you mean the security expert quoted in the report @smilesy linked?

I do feel for H&M in this instance. Being followed by aggressive photographers would be unnerving for anyone. The language of the statement was over the top and that has given more ammunition to anyone who doesn't like them. Bad PR advice again. Whatever the truth of the "chase" it does seem like the paparazzi in NYC are still behaving the way UK ones were a couple of decades ago.

I suspect, though, both H&M thought they'd get an easier time from the press if they were out of the royal family and in the US. Turns out the UK and the royal family have a much better grip on the press than anyone realised.

Kevin Garcia Valdovinos, 29, who was allegedly seen “lurking” outside the mansion in Montecito at around 2am, was released on bail.

From bottom of smilesy linked article - allegedly I get no conviction so it's all allegedly but why is lurking now in quotation marks.

Allegedly lurking - accused of lurking would have all indicated lurking was the potential issue - and would deal with the negative association with choice of word lurk- quotation marks in such a way usually indicate some doubt.

How is it clear? Both sides are blaming each other as to who was driving recklessly. There's a reason why Backgrid haven't released the pics, could be so as not to incriminate themselves or the paps.

I think the couple saw an opportunity to dramatise the situation by trying to take evasive action

Your colourful imagination, as usual. Or perhaps they were just trying to evade them?

Waste of police resources and time.

Blame the paps. They shouldn't have been there doing that in the first place.

I feel for them too. It must have been very scary for them being chased/ trailed for 2 hours by strange men, not being able to shake them off or go home, and not knowing how long it will last. Any one of them could have had a gun. Their kids might have been where they were staying and I'm sure the paps were desperate for a pic of them. Mercenary bastards! All the blame is on H&M and not the paps, it seems.

Blacked out license plates is criminal in itself. They could have been assassins.

Excellent post, @MamoruHisaishi . Yes, these two are all about the drama. It never stops! Ok, so they don’t want privacy, according to their die-hard fans, but they certainly like publicity.

I thought the response to the “demand” very witty. We all know it’s not accurate blah de blah, but it lands an amusing punch.

This is how I feel, also.

I thought the response to the “demand” very witty

Yes, it was a very witty response to put the attention back on to H&M and divert it away from themselves and any wrongdoing they may have done.

I think those of us that have spent loads of time there find it all quite bizarre.

Again, simple enough to call a upscale hotel who serves VIP, pull in the private entrance and get out until things die down.

By the way, nice hotels are the way to go in many situations. My aunt, a long time Manhattan resident taught me this: they will never turn you away because you could be meeting a guest for a drink, have a reservation, or just dining there. They don't take the risk of offending potential guests. So if you need the bathroom, walk into a hotel with a bar/dining like you belong there.

Are there images of a car chase?

There was no 'car chase'.

If only the media and paps would do us all a favor and ignore Harry and Meghan altogether.

Where did the "blacked out license plates" come from?

The official statement said there were no arrests, so no evidence of criminal activity.

The whole thing has been one unmitigated PR disaster for them, from arriving at the event through a Hertz office with Meghan dressed in the same colour as the Hertz branding, to their emotive statement which has lead to them being ridiculed and disbelieved.

It is clear they were harassed by paps, so far no proof it was as extreme as it sounded from their statement. It is obvious from the taxi photos that Harry was stressed, Meghan and her Mom had their game face on. Their security and PR teams appear to be totally useless.

I feel really sorry for Harry. He's used to travelling in a bullet-proof Range Rover with snipers stationed on every rooftop and everyone (including the British press) understanding that chasing his car would be traumatic. And now he's walking through Hertz rental offices as a trailing spouse, travelling in yellow cabs, feeling frightened and alienating his host country by demanding footage, resulting in said country's verbal two-fingers.

He didn't look comfortable throughout that while evening. Smiles were just a bit wry.

whole not while

Their security and PR teams appear to be totally useless.

It is odd - there was whole fashion house with world stage that couldn't deliver dresses that fit at their wedding as well.

Perhaps their people picking skills are poor or the usually competent people/companies crumble under the pressure - or do they not listen whatever the cause it does seem to be a pattern that is plaguing them.

From CNN:

"Conversations with a member of their entourage have also made it clear that they felt that they had stuck to speed limits, that the couple never felt under threat but that the lives of others had been."

Seems they did not feel threatened, not scared.

I'm not saying the Paps are behaving well here - just they are behaving as badly they normally do.

But somehow the PR and security teams didn't deal with it well - or not as well as other celebs people seem to routinely do.

That makes me feel better. Thanks!😂

Have any of these 'others' on whose behalf they were supposedly so scared come forward to speak of their frightening experience? With mobile phone footage of the incident, as you do? Or have camera phones not made it to the Big Apple?

New York is famously behind the times when it comes to technology 😆