DECEMBER 23 (Portal) – Britain’s Sun newspaper apologized on Friday for publishing a column by British TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson about Prince Harry’s wife Meghan, days after it became the UK’s press standards regulator’s most-complained article.
“We at The Sun regret the publication of this article and we are truly sorry,” the newspaper said in a statement, adding that the article had been removed from its website and archives.
In a column published last week, Clarkson – who rose to worldwide fame as the host of the Top Gear auto show – wrote of Meghan: “At night I can’t sleep as I lie there grinding my teeth and daydreaming about the day when she’s walking the streets naked every city in Britain has to parade while the crowd chants “Shame!” and throw clumps of excrement at them.”
Britain’s regulator, the Independent Press Standards Organization (IPSO), said Tuesday it had received more than 17,500 complaints, the most about an article since it was founded in 2014.
More than 60 MPs signed a letter from Caroline Nokes, Chair of Parliament’s Special Committee on Women and Equality, to the editor of The Sun, warning that such articles contribute to a climate of hatred and violence against women.
In a statement posted to Twitter on Monday, Clarkson said he was “appalled to have caused so much damage” and would “be more careful going forward.”
Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Edited by Daniel Wallis
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