TMZ Producer says it ‘might not’ be Kate!

[Severalwhippets]

So after days of so many of us saying it is not Catherine, and being screamed at, shut down and called ‘crazies’ and ‘trolls’ and all kinds of offensive names. It turns out we were right after all. It does not appear to be Cathrrine (no shock there for many of us) According to the producer that beamed this out across the world. Clearly unverified. Incredible that the news outlets just went along with it - no questions asked. What does that say about the quality of our journalism?

It was a huge gas lighting exercise.

So now we know we have one fake Mother’s Day photo and now one fake farm shop footage - it begs the question in a much more pressing way - where is Catherine? The stupid memes have to stop. This isn’t funny or anything to joke about.

No one can verify even a single shot ( I am discounting the photo of Pippa in the car with Carole, and someone’s head in the car turned away in windsor)

I don’t believe we are going to see Catherine this Easter or at any time soon. I don’t know where she is, or what has happened to her but I feel extremely worried for her.

I await Kensington Palace’s statement - it’s about time we learnt the truth. How can it be any worse than what has been speculated?

What will happen next? As this can not continue any longer.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/us-celebrity-news/kate-middleton-farm-shop-video-32398541.amp

That’s exactly it! It has made question everything. If they can blatantly run unverified footage - knowing most of the country are too busy to check sources etc and most importantly TRUST the BBC to fact check then we are in very dangerous territory.

How can we trust anything they say?
It is a bigger issue than Catherine to my mind. Although obviously I am assuming she is okay.

Yes, I mean the royalists are in the “It most definitely is Kate!” camp, and have fallen for the prank. The non-royalists seem to be saying that they don’t think it is her. All of us are caught up in the frenzy, whatever side of the republican debate we sit.

Well that’s not strictly true is it. We fought a civil war in 1642 to get answers from the King. The court is answerable to the country. That is the contract of monarchy.

@Wordsofprey such a good post, and I agree with this:
At this point if she was well enough I think they'd have out out a statement and said so, and provided some level of proof of life. But they haven't. She could be gravely ill, or if she's just taken a step back from the limelight and is fine, and if she IS fine, they've done irrepairable damage to their reputation for no good reason.

Yes they are. We deserve at least one impartial news source that can be relied on to face check as a bare minimum.

It leaves us more vulnerable to states that could exploit a lack of trust in traditional news sources.

I await Kensington Palace’s statement

You must have missed it. Here's an extract for you.

Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.

Christ the zombie ambulance theory is still being pedalled by @Wordsofprey!

I agree. Why wouldn’t the public be very worried? Wouldn’t it be strange if our future Queen disappeared and no one cared or noticed?

you must have missed them updating us since this statement with a fake Mothers Day photo.

I couldn't care less if it's her or not, that's not the issue here. The issue is, if this indeed proven not to be her, then the media has questions to answer regarding journalistic integrity, yet again.

Yes, I know TMZ is not a site that most of us would look to for unbiased reporting, but they aren't the only ones to regurgitate gossip and speculation as fact. 'Trusted' news sources are doing it too.

Maybe we - as a society - also need to stop automatically take everything we are presented with as fact, and realise that there is pretty much always an agenda to what we are being fed, be that money or political persuasions, and start to disseminate that information critically.

I am so glad certain posters seem to have moved on, to x or somewhere, and we can have a civilised debate about it now.

Thought you had a job to go to?

yes, there are many who are sincerely worried about her. Some people are more concerned with the deceit. Others are wondering just how much time off should be allowed given the enormous amount of money they get from us for performing what are minimal duties as it is. If one of them needs extended leave, without saying why, and we are without 5 other royals we used to have, we may need a national conversation around the sovereign grant and whether a return to the civil list is more appropriate. They can't take even more money and do less for us, that surely isn't fair.

And why would that be a problem if she needs a longer recovery?

Loads of women have to return to work earlier than 3 months after major abdominal surgery. It doesn’t mean they should and they probably aren’t fully recovered. They don’t have loads of - quite frankly- weird people obsessing over every aspect of their appearance. She will have - unfortunately. It’s absolutely fine as far as I’m concerned if she recovers in private!!! If I thought people would have been photographing and discussing my appearance after surgeries I’ve had, I would have wanted to stay hidden for longer.

The level of ridiculous comment on this subject is astounding.

Maybe we - as a society - also need to stop automatically take everything we are presented with as fact, and realise that there is pretty much always an agenda to what we are being fed, be that money or political persuasions, and start to disseminate that information critically.

Absolutely!

do you have children or a job? really i would take a few hours away from this you are far to invested and it's frankly very odd

I have always been aware of agendas and cautiously followed the news with that in mind, but what we are talking about is far more serious. There has been no effort to verify this footage - and someone gave it the green light anyway.

How can we trust that what they report in Ukraine, Haiti, Paris or Sudan is even true or credible if they can’t even fact check a piece of very dubious footage?

It looks to me like they were quietly given the nod to take the heat off KP, so their impartiality and authenticity is at best shaky and worst completely null and void.

So where does that leave us? Without a single broadcaster we can trust.

Loads of women have to return to work earlier than 3 months after major abdominal surgery.

They never said it was major. You're making assumptions.

Can you please stop attacking the OP? Don't read the thread if it bothers you. Some of us would like to have a conversation.

Exactly, if anything I find it more strange how blase people are about the fact we've had multiple doctored images and unconfirmed footage (my immediate thoughts when looking at the video was.. wow, that's actually not conclusive, but I was EXPECTING it to be from the immediate articles saying she had been seen), this is the future queen were speaking about, right to privacy somewhat goes out the window firstly when you are a royal and lording over us with special rights and benefits and secondly when you are MISSING. When a normal citizen is missing, their life usually gets turned upside down no stones unturned and private life spread open until they are found. Nicola Bulley anyone? The police actually told us she struggled with alcoholism and was going through the menopause because she hadn't been seen in a few days.. I don't see why we'd turn a blind eye to the most recognisable woman in the world suddenly going MIA with strange fake footage floating about. But she's fine! Shut up, stalkers! God, can't a princess get some privacy for nearing 4 months when she's living off the public purse and isn't completing her usual duties and her own staff haven't heard from her? Jheez

It doesn't have to be subterfuge or a crazy conspiracy. There is a middle ground, with possibilities such as some impersonators seeking 15 minutes of fame (inappropriate given the circumstances) or a photographer employing impersonators to try to make a lot of money from an 'exclusive' shot.

TMZ is not at fault - they’re just a celebrity gossip site. It’s the reputable media outlets that should have checked it more thoroughly before presenting it as genuine “sighting”.

I think we said we were going to stop with the mental health references, thanks.

Do people seriously still think it's not her?! I'll admit I got a bit tin foil hat/rabbit holey when they released the Mother's Day photo, but I do think the video is her and that she'll turn up some time around/after Easter looking fabulous and like nothing has ever happened.