Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are definitely reaping the benefits of quietly and appropriately playing the long game in terms of the numerous invasions of privacy and instances of mistreatment and outright racist behavior that's been thrown at them over the years. After being awarded over $1 million in a recent suit, it's now come to light that a paparazzi agency is going bankrupt after fighting a legal battle against Meghan.
Splash News & Picture Agency recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The agency listed three big reasons for the filing:
"As a consequence of the global pandemic the availability of celebrity images has declined and budgets within media companies have been cut to reflect wider macro-economic challenges. This situation has been exacerbated by two ongoing litigation cases and the costs of defending these cases."
Splash settled with Meghan Markle back in December 2020 after being accused of taking unauthorized photos of her out on a walk with Archie. However, it seems like the situation may not be fully resolved.
At the time, Splash issued a statement addressing the matter:
"Splash confirms that one of its former companies has agreed that, should it begin trading again, it will not take unauthorised photographs of the family of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex."
Meghan and Harry's legal team also issued their own statement, calling the win "a clear signal that unlawful, invasive and intrusive paparazzi behaviour will not be tolerated, and that the couple takes these matters seriously — just as any family would."
Splash President Emma Curzon elaborated on how the lawsuit damaged the company's ability to continue to function: "The case involves free speech related issues under United Kingdom law and, unfortunately, has proven to be too unbearably expensive for Splash to continue its defense."
She continued: "Furthermore, if the plaintiffs were to prevail in that case it would likely result in a large attorney fee award against Splash. Notwithstanding the merits of the case the company has sought to settle this matter but has been unable to agree [on] a financial settlement within its resources."
Meghan Markle is hardly the first celebrity to go after Splash. Previous lawsuits have been filed on behalf of Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Liam Hemsworth, and Nicki Minaj, though each of the people listed were defendants in copyright violation claims.
