The United Kingdom (UK) Prince Harry yesterday accused the newspaper The Sun of publishing a report out of revenge, which states that the Duke of Sussex was named in a lawsuit against United States (U.S.) rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs for human trafficking.
The Duke of Sussex said this story is among “a large number of false and very offensive articles” published by Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN) “as retaliation,” due to Harry’s previous claims that NGN hacked his phone and illegally gathered information.
Harry claims that this article and others published by The Sun and The Sunday Sun had “a very negative impact on his mental health and the health of his wife and children.”
NGN denies the allegation regarding its journalists’ motivation, adding that the article is accurate and that The Sun publishes stories about the Duke of Sussex that are justified due to the role he holds and the actions he has taken.
The Sun reported last March that Harry was named in a 24 millionpound human trafficking lawsuit for sexual exploitation filed against U.S. rapper Sean Combs, known as P. Diddy.
The article states that “legal filings allege that Diddy used Harry’s name to lend legitimacy to wild parties where serious illegal activities took place,” and at the bottom of the fourth paragraph it is stated that Harry is not accused of any illegal act.
That story, which was also published across two pages in the newspaper, focused on the lawsuit filed by music producer Rodney Jones against Combs, who is being tried on criminal charges of racketeering and human trafficking for sexual purposes.
Jones claimed that “association with and/or sponsorship of Combs’ sex and trafficking parties allowed access (to victims) for celebrities such as well-known athletes, political figures, artists, musicians, and international dignitaries like British royal Prince Harry.”
Harry met Combs only once, in 2007, at the end of the commemorative concert for his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and did not attend any of Diddy’s parties.
The trial against Combs for human trafficking, criminal conspiracy, and sex trafficking began on Monday in New York.
Combs (55), also known by the nickname Puff Daddy in the 1990s when he was at the peak of global fame, has been sued for abuse by dozens of people, but the trial will focus on the claims of four women.
Combs was indicted in September 2024 and has since been held in federal prison in Brooklyn.
