“The View” co-hosts blasted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’ for “misleading” the public with claims that they were embroiled in a “near-catastrophic†two-hour car chase in New York City Tuesday night.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement Wednesday morning saying that they were hounded by “a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” after they left the Women of Vision awards in Manhattan, resulting in a “relentless pursuit” with “multiple near collisions.”
Whoopi Goldberg hit out at the Sussex’s spokesperson during a segment on Thursday’s edition of “The View,” saying the word “chase” implied that the alleged caper took place at high speed.
“When you use that kind of verbiage know that your credibility will get cut in half because New Yorkers will say ‘Nobody moves that fast,’ ” she stated.
“I think people know if it was possible to have car chases in New York we’d all make it to the theater on time,” Goldberg added as the audience laughed.
Meanwhile, co-host Sara Haines similarly shaded the royal couple for their statement, bluntly declaring: “The terms they used were misleading.”
“In addition to ‘chase,’ what they mean by ‘catastrophic’ was not to them, it was [potentially catastrophic] to the paparazzi. So, I think when you word it that way, it does feed trolls,” Haines conceded.
Alyssa Farrah Griffin agreed, calling the couple’s statement “a p.r. failure.”
“Immediately that statement went out and it evoked Princess Diana,” the conservative pundit proclaimed. “It evoked the actual high-speed chase she had.”
Griffin added that the statement “immediately made it sound very, very serious” and that the royal couple failed to adequately plan their movements around New York City.
“This city accommodates heads of state, the biggest celebrities. Taylor Swift gets around New York and she has just as many paparazzi [following her],” the co-host declared.
Joy Behar refrained from criticizing Harry and Markle but stated: “Americans seem to be annoyed with them all the time.”
“The View” criticism comes after Piers Morgan, Megyn Kelly and Caitlyn Jenner also ridiculed the Sussex’s statement about the car chase.
On Wednesday, the New York Police Department released a statement regarding the couple’s claims, saying they “assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.â€
“There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging,†a police official said. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination, and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests in regard.â€
Markle and Harry were with the Duchess’ mom, Doria Ragland, at the Women of Vision event in Midtown.
The trio and a security guard were purportedly being driven from the event to a private residence on the Upper East Side after the glitzy soiree.
However, the group was reportedly forced to flee the vehicle following the onset of aggressive paparazzi.
They subsequently stopped in at the NYPD’s 19th Precinct on the Upper East Side, before being picked up in a yellow cab to drive them onward to their destination. However, they were later dropped back at the precinct for fear the photographers would find out the location of the residence in which they were staying.
The cabbie, Sonny Singh, spoke with The Post Wednesday, implying that the Sussex’s dramatic statement was hyperbolic.
“I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn’t like a car chase in a movie,†Singh said. “They were quiet and seemed scared but it’s New York — it’s safe.â€
