Meghan Markle has spoken up after a private investigator revealed that he was hired by a British tabloid to dig up information about her while she was still dating Prince Harry in 2016.
Daniel Hanks revealed to the New York Times that he was hired by The Sun to do background checks and find incriminating information on Meghan and her family members. He even trailed her father, Thomas Markle, and got her social security number, which he said was the "key to the palace."
The investigator admitted to using a restricted database accessible only to investigators on behalf of his client but he also illegally obtained other details about Prince Harry's wife. Hanks said he felt the need to come forward because his conscience was bothering him after watching Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey.
He addressed Markle and said that he's "deeply sorry" and that he was willing to speak to the couple's lawyers to supply them with information about what he did for the British tabloid. Hanks also said that he wished he could take back everything that happened.
Following Hanks' confession, the Duke and Duchess issued a statement saying that the media should reflect on its "predatory practices," which has destroyed relationships. The couple's spokesperson said that Harry and Meghan are grateful to those who uphold the integrity of journalism.
In a statement to BBC, publisher News Group Newspapers confirmed they hired Hanks for The Sun but denied any knowledge that he had been using illegal means for his investigation. A spokesperson said that they asked Hanks to do a background check on the Markles by using his license as an investigator.
The publisher's spokesperson said they did not ask Hanks to get Markle's social security number nor used the information he supplied for illegal activities. They also stopped using Hanks' services in 2017 when he was jailed for extortion on a different case.
Harry and Meghan have been fighting the British tabloid press in courts since they stepped back from being working royals. In February, Markle won her privacy breach case against the publisher Associated Newspapers and its news outlet Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
The Duke of Sussex, on the other hand, has ongoing lawsuits against The Sun and Daily Mirror for phone hacking activities from more than 10 years ago. Harry and Meghan also won a lawsuit against a paparazzi agency that illegally took photos of their son, Archie Harrison.
