Harry’s ‘Hollywood problem’ is no Palace protection
It sometimes seems that ever since the Duke of Sussex ensconced himself in sunny moneyed Montecito, he’s had no end of publicity problems.
The Duke of Sussex’s name has now appeared in court documents relating to a lawsuit lodged against Sean Combs, better known to the world as the rapper Diddy.
The suit, brought by music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, claims Diddy is a predatory rapist and sex trafficker who used his “access” to high-profile figures such as Prince Harry to lend legitimacy to events that were, allegedly, sex-trafficking parties where Jones claims he was drugged and forced to have sex with prostitutes.
To be clear: Prince Harry is only mentioned once in passing and there is zero indication that the Duke of Sussex has done anything wrong. He has only been photographed once with the rapper – 17 years ago – alongside his brother Prince William and musician Kanye West, after a concert in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.
His inclusion in these court documents seems frankly bizarre. Although the plaintiff claimed that Diddy used his relationship with the great and the good – “athletes, political figures, artists, musicians and international dignitaries” – it is only Prince Harry who is named.
There are plenty of celebrities who have had well documented relationships and friendships with the rapper so it seems particularly strange that “British royal Prince Harry”, as the suit refers to him, is singled out.
Diddy, who has denied Jones’s allegations, is facing a slew of serious sexual misconduct accusations.
So how has this happened? Prince Harry is hardly the first celebrity to have been pictured standing beside an unsavoury character at a showbiz event. Both Elon Musk and Piers Morgan had to defend themselves when photographs showing them with Ghislaine Maxwell, since jailed for child sex-trafficking in association with Jeffrey Epstein, emerged.
And Prince Harry’s uncle Prince Andrew knows well the reputational damage that can come after being photographed with, in his case, a convicted sex offender.
All Prince Harry did was pose alongside a superstar at a concert in honour of his mother. How was he to know that in almost 20 years’ time the superstar would be accused of truly heinous crimes? There has already been a backlash to news outlets’ decision to crop and use photos of Prince Harry with Diddy, rather than those also featuring Prince William.
What this latest negative news story illustrates, in my opinion, is Prince Harry’s Hollywood problem. When he quit life as a working royal, he not only lost his personal security but his spot under the umbrella of protection that the Royal Family grants its principles.
He lost the gravitas of the royal institution, the steely-eyed determination of courtiers to protect the reputations of their employers and, for the most part, the British press’s deference to the Royal Family.
There’s a reason Prince William has not been included in those pictures. The next-in-line to the throne is protected. Harry may be in sunny California, but he might as well be in chilly Siberia.
He’s operating in a new world now – Hollywood. His celebrity is of a global stature and people know his name will guarantee headlines. There is greater scrutiny over his movements. No Tinseltown PR guru, no matter how accomplished and well-connected, will be able to offer the same protection the Palace walls once gave Harry.