Despite what you may have heard, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex can take a joke. Per E! News, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has shut down reports that the pair were planning to sue the classic cartoon comedy South Park after a recent episode satirized the couple.
The episode that sparked rumors of a lawsuit is the second of South Park’s 26th season, titled “Worldwide Privacy Tour.” Airing February 15 on Comedy Central, “Worldwide Privacy Tour” follows a fictional “Prince of Canada” and his wife as they relocated to the fictional South Park, Colorado, after the Queen of Canada’s death. The cartoon Prince of Canada and his wife bear a striking resemblance to Harry and Meghan, with the cartoon prince sporting a red beard and his wife outfitted in a pink dress similar to one Meghan was heavily photographed wearing while attending a Trooping the Colour event in 2018. During the episode the Prince of Canada and his wife hold signs that say “we want our privacy” and “stop looking at us.”
After “Worldwide Privacy Tour” aired, the New York Post alleged that Markle was “upset and overwhelmed” by the episode, as well as “annoyed by South Park but refuses to watch it all.” Writing to Fox News, royal commentator Neil Sean suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may get litigious over the cartoon parody.
“Their legal team are casting an eye over the episode to see what is wrong, and what could be turned into something more sinister,” said Sean. “This appears to be their course of action rather than laughing it off, enjoying the moment and showing the world that they get the joke.”
That assessment, though, seems to be far from the truth. A representative for Prince Harry and Meghan shut down any rumors of a lawsuit Tuesday, in a statement given to E! News. “It’s all frankly nonsense,” said the representative. “Totally baseless, boring reports.”
Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park has been Comedy Central’s tentpole since it premiered in 1997. The animated series has ruffled its fair share of famous feathers in the ensuing decades, including but not limited to those of Kanye West, Tom Cruise, and Barbra Streisand. South Park also begins every episode with a disclaimer saying that all its characters are fictional—even ones clearly based on real people. Given the US’s love of the First Amendment, perhaps it was shrewd for the recent British transplants to let the South Park parody slide.
Chris Murphy
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