Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles paparazzi to stop the sale of photographs involving their 14-month-old son Archie.
Since relocating to California, the couple have dealt with privacy intrusions, including needing to uphold a fence to block long-lens photographers from snapping pictures and dealing with low-flying drones attempting to capture the couple’s private life.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, aimed at stopping the publication of a photograph of Archie snapped by an unknown photographer as well as stopping the “manufactured feeding frenzy” they say that has been unleashed by the paparazzi.
“Every individual and family member in California is guaranteed by law the right to privacy in their home,” Michael Kump, the couple’s lawyer, told USA Today. He added that the lawsuit was to “protect their young son’s right to privacy in their home without intrusion by photographers, and to uncover and stop those who seek to profit from these illegal actions.”
Court papers say a photo of Archie is unlawful and a form of harassment since it is illegal to sell a photo of a child residing in his or her own home. The couple claimed the photos are being sold on the false premise that they were taken on public property.
The suit seeks the identity of the photographers, unspecified financial relief, and for the photos to be handed to the couple.
The papers added that the couple isn’t seeking special treatment but “the right to be left alone in the privacy of their home — a right that is guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the State of California.”
