Jeremy Clarkson, the previous host of Top Gear, has publicly apologized to Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for a controversial column he wrote in The Sun newspaper.
In the article, Clarkson used disparaging language towards Meghan and made offensive references to her.
In a statement released on Monday, Clarkson said that he had emailed the couple on Christmas Day to express his remorse for his language and behavior. He acknowledged that his words were “disgraceful” and stated that he was “profoundly sorry” for any hurt he may have caused.
The column in question, which was published in December, included a passage where Clarkson wrote about Meghan being pelted with excrement. The Sun newspaper has since removed the article from its website and issued an apology for its publication.
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan commented on the incident, stating that it was not an isolated incident for Clarkson and that the couple had received similar treatment from the media in the past.
Clarkson had also released a statement before Christmas, expressing his regret for the hurt caused by his article. He stated that he was “horrified” to have caused such offense and promised to take a more responsible approach in the future.
In the column, Clarkson wrote that he lay in bed “dreaming of the day when she [Meghan] is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”.
Furthermore, he said “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way”, and that her appeal to young individuals who “think she was a prisoner of Buckingham Palace” made him “despair.”
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After It Was Published
A record number of 25,000 complaints have been made to the press regulator Ipso since the publication of Jeremy Clarkson’s controversial column in The Sun newspaper.
The piece, which made offensive references to the Duchess of Sussex, has sparked widespread condemnation and calls for accountability.
In response, Clarkson took to social media to issue a public apology and take responsibility for his actions.
In a lengthy Instagram post on Monday, the presenter of Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm and ITV’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire? admitted that he usually reads what he’s written before filing his copy but on this occasion, he was home alone and in a hurry.
He acknowledged that this was no excuse for the hurt caused by his words and promised to be more mindful in the future.
“So when I’d finished, I just pressed send. And then, when the column appeared the next day, the land mine exploded.”
He acknowledged that he had made a mistake and realized that he had “completely messed up” after reading the article in The Sun.
“You are sweaty and cold at the same time. And your head pounds. And you feel sick. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Had I really said that? It was horrible.”
He explained that he had been inspired by a scene in Game of Thrones when he wrote about the Duchess being abused in the street, but he forgot to mention it in the article.
“So it looked like I was actually calling for revolting violence to rain down on Meghan’s head.”
The Duke and Duchess
According to a statement from a representative for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Clarkson only sent his apology to Prince Harry.
“While a new public apology has been issued today by Mr Clarkson, what remains to be addressed is his long-standing pattern of writing articles that spread hate rhetoric, dangerous conspiracy theories and misogyny,” the spokesperson stated.
“Unless each of his other pieces were also written ‘in a hurry’, as he states, it is clear that this is not an isolated incident shared in haste, but rather a series of articles shared in hate.”
In a recent conversation with ITV, Prince Harry criticized Clarkson and also expressed his disappointment that members of the Royal Family did not speak out about the issue at the time.
In his statement, Clarkson further said he had “tried to explain” himself. “But still, there were calls for me to be sacked and charged with a hate crime. More than 60 MPs demanded action to be taken. ITV, who make Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and Amazon, who make the Farm Show and the Grand Tour, were incandescent.”
It was then that he “wrote to everyone who works with me saying how sorry I was” and emailed the duke and duchess.
“On Christmas morning, I emailed Harry and Meghan in California to apologise to them too. I said I was baffled by what they had been saying on TV but that the language I’d used in my column was disgraceful and that I was profoundly sorry.”
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The Clash
Clarkson recently had a public spat with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, over an article that was published in The Sun. The article, which was written by Clarkson, criticized Markle for her recent public statements on voting and political activism.
In his article, Clarkson wrote that Markle’s statements were “divisive” and that she should “stick to acting.” He also accused her of being “a Hollywood actress who hasn’t lived here long enough to understand our country.”
Markle responded to the article by issuing a statement through her spokesperson, in which she said, “This is just further proof that the media landscape is toxic and needs reform.”
She also pointed out that she has been a resident of the United Kingdom for several years and has “a deep understanding and appreciation for this country.”
The clash between Clarkson and Markle has sparked a heated debate on social media, with many people taking sides and expressing their opinions on the matter.
Some have defended Markle, saying that she has every right to speak out on issues that are important to her, while others have sided with Clarkson, arguing that celebrities should not involve themselves in politics.
Photo: Yimg
