In a shocking allegation, New Zealand-British journalist Dan Wootton has accused Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of "collaborating" with the British media outlet Byline Times to "take down" the renegade royal couple's critics. Wootton, a former executive editor of The Sun, claimed that he was at the "top" of Prince Harry's alleged list of media enemies.
"I have learned the disgraced Duke has cultivated a private working relationship with Byline Times to pursue one goal," Wootton charged on Thursday. "Taking down his enemies in the British media. It's no surprise to know that I was top of that list."
Wootton alleged that Prince Harry and Byline Times "targeted" him after he reported on "woke warrior" Meghan Markle and a series of rumors and controversies surrounding the Duchess of Sussex, including her allegedly sour relationships with the late Queen Elizabeth and the currently embattled Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton.
According to Wootton, Harry and Meghan "used every possible tactic" to "shut [him] up," including enlisting the help of high-profile individuals such as writer Omid Scobie and comedian James Corden. "They made complaints to the newspaper regulator IPSO, leaned on other royals to complain about me to my editor, unleashed their odd looking little attack dog Omid Scobie, turned former celebrity acquaintances like James Corden against me, threatened to file a lawsuit falsely claiming I'd broken the law while reporting on them, and brazenly attacked me in public," Wootton claimed.
How Prince Harry was involved in my sick takedown by a convicted criminal at Byline Times – and why the British MSM gave in to those dark forces.
The full shocking story athttps://t.co/Puyv9xE64h pic.twitter.com/rpTrE9dR8K — Dan Wootton (@danwootton) March 14, 2024
In a shocking revelation, Wootton also alleged that Prince Harry was preparing to sit down for a bombshell tell-all interview with Byline Times, an interview that the two parties "spent months negotiating" before the Duke of Sussex agreed. "It's astonishing that the fifth in line to the throne would be considering talking to such a disgraceful publication that is totally unregulated and reliant on convicted criminals for some of its reportage," Wootton said. "Unless, of course, they had been conducting his dirty work."
Wootton concluded his diatribe by accusing the royal couple of "silencing" other reporters and outlets, including journalist Piers Morgan and the powerhouse outlet Daily Mail. "Harry collaborating with the Byline Times against his media critics matters," Wootton said. "Even though the Sussexes are now on the outer of the Royal Family, it shows the power of the British establishment to neuter and silence critical voices."
In a related development, Wootton himself has been suspended from his position as a presenter at British broadcaster GB News over "misogynistic" comments made by a guest, Laurence Fox, on his show. Wootton apologized for not immediately challenging Fox's offensive remarks about female journalist Ava Evans, who expressed feeling "physically sick" in response to the comments, according to Newsweek.
GB News launched an investigation into the incident on September 27, and Wootton's suspension has removed a major and regular critic of Harry and Meghan from public debate, at least temporarily. The network also suspended Fox and apologized to Evans.
Interestingly, Piers Morgan, who has often spoken out against what he considers to be "woke" values, condemned Fox's comments, calling him a "disgusting piece of misogynist trash" and praising Evans as a "very talented journalist and delightful person."
The U.K. television regulator Ofcom is currently investigating the incident, and the outcome may not bode well for Wootton, who has already acknowledged he should have done more to challenge Fox's remarks. In a previous ruling involving Piers Morgan's comments about Meghan Markle on Good Morning Britain, Ofcom exonerated the show because other guests challenged Morgan's views, setting a precedent that may not favor Wootton in this case.
As the public backlash over misogyny continues and the investigation into Wootton's alleged collaboration with Byline Times unfolds, the complex dynamics between the royal couple, their critics, and the British media establishment remain in the spotlight. The outcome of these controversies could have significant implications for the future of public discourse surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
