Column about Meghan receives most complaints of all time, says regulator of the British press – ISTOÉ DINHEIRO

Meghan Markle at gala event in New York

LONDON (Reuters) – A column in The Sun newspaper by British television presenter Jeremy Clarkson about Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle has become the article with the most complaints to UK press standards regulators, the report said. body this Tuesday, with more than 17,500 complaints received.

In a column published on Friday, Clarkson, who gained worldwide fame as host of the auto show “Top Gear”, wrote of Meghan: “I hate her. Not like I hate (Scottish Prime Minister) Nicola Sturgeon, or (serial killer) Rose West. I hate her on a cellular level.”

“At night, I can’t sleep lying there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is paraded naked through the streets of every city in the UK while the crowd screams ‘Shame!’ while throwing pieces of excrement at her.”

Clarkson said on Monday he was “horrified to have caused so much damage”. The article has been removed from the Sun website.

The Independent Press Standards Organization (IPSO) said it had received more than 17,500 complaints so far, the most on any article since the body was created in 2014.

More than 60 MPs signed a letter written by Caroline Nokes, chair of Parliament’s Select Committee on Women and Equalities, to the editor of The Sun newspaper warning that such articles contribute to a climate of hatred and violence against women.

“Enough. We cannot allow this type of behavior to continue unchecked,” said the letter, which was posted on Twitter by Nokes. “We now demand that action be taken against Mr Clarkson and an unreserved apology be made to Ms Markle immediately.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as Harry and Meghan are officially known, stepped down from royal duties in March 2020, saying they wanted to build a new life in the United States, away from media harassment.

In a Netflix documentary released last week, Meghan spoke about how her treatment by the press left her with suicidal thoughts, as well as raising concerns about whether she and her children were safe.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Additional reporting by Farouq Suleiman)