Chalk this one up as another victory for the Duchess of Sussex.
Paparazzi agency Splash News & Picture Agency has officially declared bankruptcy, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Meghan Markle had sued the company over photos taken of a “private family outing” in Canada. The case was reportedly settled and Splash agreed not to take any more “unauthorized” photos of Prince Harry’s fam, but the legal action took its toll.
Related: Harry & Meghan Denounce Tabloids’ ‘Predatory Practices’
Meg’s suit wasn’t the only one that drained Splash’s coffers, however; the agency was known for frequently suing celebs over using their pics on social media, and they had at least one internal suit going on, too. Plus, the pap business simply isn’t booming with these frequent coronavirus lockdowns and celebs staying at home.
Per THR, Splash president Emma Curzon stated in their bankruptcy filing:
“Splash’s financial problems stem from three sources. As a consequence of the global pandemic the availability of celebrity images has declined and budgets within media companies have been cut to reflect wider macro-economic challenges. This situation has been exacerbated by two ongoing litigation cases and the costs of defending these cases.”
Regarding the Suits alum’s case, Curzon shared:
“The case involves free speech related issues under United Kingdom law and, unfortunately, has proven to be too unbearably expensive for Splash to continue its defense. Furthermore, if the plaintiffs were to prevail in that case it would likely result in a large attorney fee award against Splash. Notwithstanding the merits of the case the company has sought to settle this matter but has been unable to agree [on] a financial settlement within its resources.”
Too bad, so sad. We’ll have to wait and see if Splash survives. In the meantime, it seems like Meghan can celebrate this as another win in her war against the media!
[Image via John Rainford/WENN]
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