- Netflix’s trailers for Meghan and Prince Harry’s documentary series have been called misleading by journalists and critics.
- They include several paparazzi shots that suggest the photographers are swarming the couple.
- Some of the photos were actually taken from unrelated events that the couple did not attend, reports say.
Netflix faces criticism after two more trailers Duke and Duchess of Sussex upcoming docu-series, “Harry & Meghan,” included out-of-context and seemingly unrelated paparazzi photos.
The streaming company, which announced its partnership with Harry and Meghan in 2020, released a teaser to the documentaries Thursday, containing previously unpublished images of the couple as well as pictures of paparazzi who are implied to be following the couple assiduously.
The British newspaper The Sun originally reported that a photo used in the first trailer, believed to be of photographers capturing the couple at a royal event, was actually of photographers at the 2011 “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two” film premiere.
Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with Netflix, did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
The image of the photographers can be seen at the 30 second time stamp.
“I had to do everything I could to protect my family,” Harry can be heard saying after the controversial image appears on screen, which could be interpreted by viewers as the prince suggesting he would protect them from the press.
Sun photographer Doug Seeburg, who can be seen in the original photo, told the publication that no members of the royal family were present at the event.
“In the Netflix trailer it’s implied that the photographers, including me, were trying to get a picture of the royal couple – but that’s rubbish,” Seeburg told The Sun.
“To have an image from that premiere appear in this trailer about Harry and Meghan seems like lazy image research,” he added.
Nevertheless, Harry and Meghan’s privacy and security were at significant risk while living in Britain, according to Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu.
Basu, former head of counter-terrorism for the force, told Channel 4 News in November that there were investigations into the threats against the couple and that some people had been prosecuted.
In the documentary “The Me You Can’t See” which first aired in May 2021, Harry said he feared for Meghan’s life because of how paparazzi harassment led to the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
“History repeated itself,” Harry said in the documentary. “My mother was hunted to her death while she was in a relationship with someone who was not white and now look what has happened. You want to talk about history repeating itself? They won’t stop until she dies. “
ONE follow-up docuseries trailer was released on Monday, and it was also quickly criticized by journalists.
— Netflix (@netflix) 5 December 2022
Robert Jobson, royal editor of the Evening Standard, wrote on Twitter on Monday that an image shown in the second trailer is misleading.
Jobson said the photo was taken by an accredited press pool he was part of at Archbishop Tutu’s residence in Cape Town, South Africa, during Harry and Meghan’s 2019 visit.
—Robert Jobson (@theroyaleditor) 5 December 2022
“This photograph used by @Netflix and Harry and Meghan to imply press intrusion is a complete travesty,” Jobson wrote.
“Only 3 people were in the accredited position. H & M accepted the position. I was there,” he added.
Also shown in the second trailer is a video clip of photographers swarming a vehicle believed to be Harry and Meghan’s. As Buzzfeed News’ Ellie Hall reportsthe video is actually of Michael Cohen, a former lawyer for former President Donald Trump, getting into a vehicle to be transported to prison on May 6, 2019.
The clip can be seen at the 44-second timestamp and again at the 50-second timestamp, just before a video of Princess Diana shielding her face from cameras.
A separate video that was shown at the 49 second timestamp also appears to be unrelated to the royal couple. The footage was actually taken by photographers outside a British court as model Katie Price arrived to be sentenced for drink-driving on December 15, 2021, Hall reports.
Netflix confirmed that “Harry & Meghan” would be released in two parts, with Volume I airing on December 8 and Volume II airing on December 15.
