PR Disasters ….part 7

[AtIusvue]

Meg and Harry PR shenanigans

Let’s hope this opens the floodgates.

It will also be very interesting to see if any “instructions” were issued.

Against Harry and his wife. She also went on Oprah and blatantly lied. Hopefully karma is coming for the pair of them.

The stated reason was that the relationship between the board and Sophie had broken down beyond repair. That is clearly a matter of opinion. A defamation case based on that would fail. And it is Sentebale that is taking action against Harry, not Sophie personally. So the claim is that he libelled the charity, not that he libelled her.

They found that although there was no “widespread or systemic” bullying or racism, they noted that their role is not to investigate “individual” claims of bullying.

I really appreciate posters like yours

that even makes it more interesting, the action is against the charity not Sophie - let’s see how this plays out,

can they accuse Harry of bullying a charity 🙃

I forgot to say thank you @prh47bridge for your informative posts.

Harry has released a statement:

In full, the statement reads: "As Sentebale’s co-founder and a founding trustee, they categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims.
"It is extraordinary that charitable funds are now being used to pursue legal action against the very people who built and supported the organisation for nearly two decades, rather than being directed to the communities the charity was created to serve."

Ehhhh? I think he might get in trouble here….didnt they say that the aren’t using Sentebale funds?

They aren’t suing for bullying! It’s DEFAMATION.

Of course it’s the charity because they have to prove financial loss!

You're quite right about the deeply unpleasant SM campaign against Sophie and the charity which followed Harry's departure, @bluegreygreen, so while we can't yet know I'm now wondering if she has evidence that Harry was instrumental in this

Also, while IANAL as we say on here, that regulator's report struck me as being very carefully phrased. Not finding "systemic or widespread bullying and harassment" isn't the same as not finding it at all, and I do wonder about the choice of words

It is extraordinary that charitable funds are now being used

😂 what an idiot, this is going to be delicious! No matter the outcome I am delighted that he is running scared.

Sentebale:

The statement from the southern African charity reads: "Sentebale has commenced legal proceedings in the High Court of England and Wales.
"The charity seeks the court’s intervention, protection, and restitution following a coordinated adverse media campaign conducted since 25 March 2025 that has caused operational disruption and reputational harm to the charity, its leadership, and its strategic partners.
"The proceedings have been brought against Prince Harry and Mark Dyer, identified through evidence as the architects of that adverse media campaign, which has had significant viral impact and triggered an onslaught of cyber-bullying directed at the charity and its leadership.
"Sentebale has experienced the adverse media campaign as false narratives circulated through the media about the charity and its leadership, attempts to undermine its relationships with staff, existing and prospective partners, and the forced diversion of leadership time and resources into managing a reputational crisis not of the charity’s making.
"Sentebale’s development sector funders have maintained 100 per cent of their financial commitment throughout this period, and the charity has been deeply moved by the continued generosity of individual donors who have stood firm alongside them.
"The commitment of our partners and donors reflects a shared conviction that good governance is fundamental to the integrity of any charitable organisation, and their faith in the continued work of the charity.

"It is also a reflection of the resolve of the Board and the teams in Lesotho and Botswana who have remained resilient and focused on the work in the face of sustained pressure.
"At a time when international aid is contracting and the needs of children across Southern Africa are growing, the work Sentebale delivers for 78,000 young lives is increasingly critical.
"The charity should not continue to use its resources to manage and address the damage this adverse media campaign has caused to its operations and partnerships. This must stop.
"The Board and Executive Director have taken this legal action to secure that protection. The costs of doing so are met entirely by external funding and no charitable funds have been used.‘

They clearly say they are not using charity funds. What a stupid thing to do, accuse them of using charity funds!!!! Bloody idiots

so while we can't yet know I'm now wondering if she has evidence that Harry was instrumental in this

This is what I’m wondering.

Well I’m sure that little nugget can also be added to the defamation case! Accusing the charity of using its funds for the legal case 😂

Legal costs for the case are being met "entirely by external funding and no charitable funds have been used", say the charity's current trustee's

Above from BBC .. what’s H going on about then?

"It is extraordinary that charitable funds are now being used to pursue legal action against the very people who built and supported the organisation for nearly two decades, rather than being directed to the communities the charity was created to serve’

Well, that’s embarrassing 😂😂😂
What a bell end.

sloppy statement for the amount of time they had to respond

Talk about proving their point, what an own goal and it’s only just kicked off!

There seems to be a common misunderstanding that it is only possible to sue for defamation if you have suffered a financial loss. That restriction only applies to bodies that trade for profit. It does not apply to charities or to individuals. Sentebale do not have to prove that they have suffered a financial loss to win. Similarly, if Sophie took action for defamation, she would not have to prove that she had suffered any financial loss. So that is not why it is the charity suing rather than Sophie personally.

Absolutely mental! You’d think when you’re getting sued for defamation you’d be careful what you say and not go accusing the charity of spending money on a legal case!

Uh huh and what do you think of Harry’s statement accusing the charity of using charity funds for the legal case?

Yes, Sentebale have said the charity's funds aren't being used for the case, @Atlusvue, and I only hope it's true

That said, Harry flinging baseless accusations would be nothing new, and as ever with anything he's involved with there'll doubtless be more to come on this with time

Once again though, I wouldn't want to be in that Montecito house right now ...

I doubt it. I suspect the statement has qualified privilege, which means Sentebale would have to prove that Harry acted out of malice in making this statement. That is extraordinarily difficult to prove.

If it was part of a malicious campaign to undermine Sentabale’s reputation, then that might found an action for defamation, yes.