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Prince Harry has accused members of the Royal Family of getting in “bed with the devil” over their links with the tabloid press – and admitted Meghan did not get on with William and Kate “from the get-go”.

In an interview with ITV, the Duke of Sussex insisted he did not have “any intention to harm” or “hurt” his brother or King Charles with his memoir Spare, which includes a series of explosive allegations.

He also denied that accusations of racism were made towards the royals when he and Meghan were interviewed by US TV host Oprah Winfrey.

In the wide-ranging interview with presenter Tom Bradby, Harry said it was “important to acknowledge” his past drug use after he admitted in his book taking cocaine, cannabis and magic mushrooms.

He also claimed there was a “horrible reaction” from his family members on the day that Queen Elizabeth died, with “briefings”, “leaking” and “planting”.

Addressing the “relationship between certain members of the family and the tabloid press”, Harry said: “Those certain members have decided to get in the bed with the devil, right? – to rehabilitate their image.

“If you need to do that, or you want to do that, you choose to do that – well, that is a choice. That’s up to you.

“But the moment that that rehabilitation comes at the detriment of others – me, other members of my family – then that’s where I draw the line.”

Harry accused of being ‘scathing’ about Camilla

Members of the royal family (left to right) the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry leave following a service of thanksgiving, at Saint Paul's Cathedral, in central London.

Bradby suggested to Harry that he was “pretty consistently scathing” in his memoir about his “stepmother and the press”.

An excerpt read by Harry from his book said he and William “endorse Camilla” but they asked their father Charles not to marry her.

“Shortly after our private summits with her, she began to play the long game,” Harry writes.

“A campaign aimed at marriage, and eventually the Crown, with Pa’s blessing we presumed.

“Stories began to appear everywhere in all the papers about her private conversation with Willie, stories that contained pinpoint accurate details, none of which had come from Willie, of course. They could only have been leaked by the other one other person present.”

Read more:
Harry cuts a sad, self-indulgent and naive figure in his memoir

In his ITV interview, Harry denied being “scathing towards any member of my family, especially not my stepmother”.

The duke said he wanted “reconciliation” with his family but “there needs to be some accountability”.

He told Bradby: “I think there’s probably a lot of people who, after watching the documentary and reading the book, will go: ‘How could you ever forgive your family for what they’ve done?’ People have already said that to me.

“I said, forgiveness is 100% a possibility because I would like to get my father back. I would like to have my brother back.

“At the moment, I don’t recognise them, as much as they probably don’t recognise me.”

William and Kate didn’t get on with Meghan ‘from the get-go’

Prince William and Kate sat in front of Prince Harry and Meghan

Discussing Kate and William’s relationship with Meghan, Harry said the couple were “Suits fans” but there had been “a lot of stereotyping” over her being an “American actress, divorced, biracial”.

Bradby said the impression was that the Prince and Princess of Wales “almost from the get-go” did not “get on” with Meghan.

“Fair?” the presenter asked.

“Yeah, fair,” Harry replied.

The prince said his brother “never tried to dissuade” him from marrying Meghan but he “aired some concerns very early” and claimed William told him: “This is going to be really hard for you”.

“Maybe he predicted what the British press’s reaction was going to be,” Harry added.

Harry addresses alleged physical attack by William

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Prince Harry: ‘I saw red mist in William’

In his book, Harry claims he was physically attacked by William during a row over his marriage to Meghan.

He told ITV that he and his brother “used to fight all the time” as younger siblings but there was a different “level of frustration” in the alleged incident.

“I saw this red mist in him,” Harry said.

“I can pretty much guarantee today that if I wasn’t doing therapy sessions like I was, and being able to process that anger and frustration, that I would’ve fought back – 100%.”

Harry said he did not think his brother and father would read his book but added: “I really hope they do.”

Bradby suggested that Harry had “not so much burnt your bridges” with the Royal Family but “taken a flame-thrower to them”.

“Well they’ve shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile up until this point”, Harry replied.

“And I’m not sure how honesty is burning bridges. You know, silence only allows the abuser to abuse, right? So I don’t know how staying silent is ever going to make things better.”

Prince William and Prince Harry. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Charles warned Harry he faced ‘suicide mission’ over press

On his bid to take on the tabloids, Harry said his father warned him it was “probably a suicide mission to try and change” the press.

The duke claimed there was a “distorted narrative” that he and Meghan “wanted to leave to go and make money” when they departed as working royals.

He said the couple decided to put their “mental health first” and asked for “help and support”.

“At that time, I didn’t fully understand how much – or how complicit the family were in that pain and suffering that was happening to my wife,” Harry added.

“The one group of people that could’ve helped or stopped this from happening were the very people that were – that were encouraging it to happen.”

Harry criticises ‘horrific’ Jeremy Clarkson article about Meghan

MPs urge Sun editor to act against Jeremy Clarkson over Meghan remarks. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Harry branded Jeremy Clarkson’s recent article about Meghan as “horrific”, “hurtful” and “cruel”.

Clarkson was widely criticised for his column, published in The Sun newspaper, which said he was “dreaming of the day when (Meghan) is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”.

Harry told ITV: “What he said was horrific and is hurtful and cruel towards my wife, but it also encourages other people around the UK and around the world, men particularly, to go and think that it’s acceptable to treat women that way.”

Harry said “the world” was asking for “some form of comment from the monarchy” but “the silence is deafening, to put it mildly”.

“Everything to do with my wife, after six years, they haven’t said a single thing,” he added. “But they’re willing to defend themselves regularly.”

Harry denies Royal Family were accused of racism in Oprah interview

Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey will air on Sunday Pic: CBS
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Pic: CBS

Asked about his interview with Winfrey in June 2021, Harry said his wife’s claims that a family member made “troubling” comments about the skin colour of his son, Archie, related to “unconscious bias” not racism.

The duke also said the recent incident at Buckingham Palace involving black campaigner Ngozi Fulani and Lady Susan Hussey, the late Queen’s lady in waiting, “is a very good example of the environment within the institution”.

After Bradby suggested to Harry that “in the Oprah interview you accused members of your family of racism”, the duke responded by saying “no I didn’t” and added “the British press said that”.

“Did Meghan ever mention that they’re racist?,” Harry asked.

After Bradby said the duchess claimed troubling comments were made about Archie’s skin colour, Harry said: “There was – there was concern about his skin colour.”

Asked if he would describe that as racist, the duke said: “I wouldn’t, not having lived within that family.”

He continued: “The difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different.”

Harry’s happiness ‘infuriates’ some people

Now living in California, Harry said he was “very happy” and “in a better place than I’ve ever been”.

“I think that probably angers some people, infuriates others, because just by the nature of me leaving,”he added.

“I’m sure… some people always thought that Meghan would leave right, but I don’t think they ever thought that I would leave as well.”

Harry’s book is due to be released on Tuesday but Sky News obtained a copy after it was accidentally put out for sale early in Spain.

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LA fires: Paris Hilton and Mel Gibson among stars to see homes destroyed in blaze

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LA fires: Paris Hilton and Mel Gibson among stars to see homes destroyed in blaze

Paris Hilton says her “heart has shattered into a million pieces,” after visiting the charred remains of her Malibu beach house which has been destroyed in wildfires sweeping LA.

Describing herself on Instagram as “in complete shock,” the hotel heiress said seeing her family memories “reduced to ashes” was “devastating”.

Meanwhile, Mel Gibson has said the loss of his family home and all his belongings in the fire was “emotional”. It burned down while he was recording the Joe Rogan Experience in Texas.

Follow live: Latest blaze investigated as possible arson

At least 10 people have been killed in the blazes, which have been burning for four days, forcing 179,000 to evacuate their homes. Tens of thousands of acres of land still burning.

The fires affected multiple celebrities, as the fires have ripped through exclusive suburbs in southern California, home to film stars and billionaires.

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Celebrities’ homes have burned down in the LA fires

Hilton, 43, said she watched her home burn to the ground on TV – and shared a video on social media from inside her gutted home.

She said she was grateful to be safe along with her husband Carter Reum and their two children, Phoenix and London, but was devastated to have lost her family home.

She wrote on Instagram: “I’m standing here in what used to be our home, and the heartbreak is truly indescribable.

“When I first saw the news, I was in complete shock – I couldn’t process it. But now, standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, it feels like my heart has shattered into a million pieces.”

She has lived in the multi-million-pound property for three years.

Hilton added: “This house wasn’t just a place to live – it was where we dreamed, laughed, and created the most beautiful memories as a family.

“It was where [son] Phoenix’s little hands made art that I’ll cherish forever, where love and life filled every corner. To see it reduced to ashes… it’s devastating beyond words.

“What breaks my heart even more is knowing that this isn’t just my story. So many people have lost everything. It’s not just walls and roofs – it’s the memories that made those houses homes. It’s the photos, the keepsakes, the irreplaceable pieces of our lives.”

She described herself as “incredibly lucky,” adding: “My loved ones, my babies, and my pets are safe. That’s the most important thing”.

She thanked the firefighters, first responders and volunteers who she said were “all risking their lives” to help, adding “Even in the ashes, there is still beauty in this world”.

Water is dropped by helicopter on the burning Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills.
Pic: AP
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Water dropped by helicopter on the burning Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills. Pic: AP

Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
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The West Hills section of Los Angeles. Pic: AP

‘When I got home, it wasn’t there’

Braveheart star Mel Gibson, who was away when the fires began, told NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas Reports that the home he had lived in for over a decade had burned while he was appearing on an episode of the Joe Rogan podcast.

The 69-year-old actor said it was “emotional” to know all his belongings have been lost, but he was doing his best to stay positive.

He said he felt “relieved from the burden of my stuff, because it’s all in cinders”.

Gibson, who lived in his Hollywood home with his partner Rosalind Ross and their seven-year-old son Lars, described finding out about the loss of his house.

“I was doing the Rogan podcast… And [I was] kind of ill at ease while we were talking, because I knew my neighbourhood was on fire, so I thought, I wonder if my place is still there.

“But when I got home, sure enough, it wasn’t there. I went home and I said to myself, well, at least I haven’t got any of those pesky plumbing problems anymore.”

Read more:
What caused the ferocious fires and when will they end? Everything we know about the LA wildfires
Furious LA woman challenges California governor over wildfires response

He said the family’s pet chickens had survived the blaze, and while many “personal things from over the years” had been lost, the important things were still there.

“These are only things. And the good news is that those in my family and those I love are all well, and we’re all happy and healthy and out of harm’s way, that’s all I can care about, really.”

LA fires as of Friday morning
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LA fires as of Friday morning

The ancestral home of Big Lebowski actor Jeff Bridges is also understood to have been destroyed.

The four-bedroom home, which had been in the Bridges family for generations, had been inherited by Bridges and his two siblings in 2018 according to the Los Angeles Times.

Tina Knowles, the mother of singer Beyonce, has also lost a house she owned in Malibu to the fires.

Tina Knowles, from left, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Blue Ivy Carter arrive at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
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Tina Knowles with Jay-Z, Beyonce and Blue Ivy Carter in December. Pic: AP

She shared a short video of dolphins playing in the sea on Instagram, writing: “This is what I was looking at on my birthday this past weekend from my tiny little bungalow on the water in Malibu! It was my favorite place, my sanctuary, my sacred Happy Place. Now it is gone!!”

She went on to thank the fire department and first responders and offered condolences to others affected by the fires.

Take That star Mark Owen and his family were evacuated from their home, with his wife Emma Ferguson describing them waking to “helicopters, thick black smoke and winds howling”.

She said while she was grateful her family was safe, it was “exhausting” to be “constantly looking online to see if your house is gone.”

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Steve Guttenberg: ‘I’ve seen such tragedy’

Actor Steve Guttenberg, best known for his role in the Police Academy film franchise, has called the fires “absolutely the worst” he’s ever seen, and has been doing what he can to help distressed residents.

Other stars to have lost their homes in the fires include Billy Crystal, Miles Teller, Diane Waren, Ricki Lake, Cary Elwes, Milo Ventimiglia, Anna Faris, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag.

On Friday, the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammy Awards, and charity MusiCares have pledged $1m (£813,000) to support music artists impacted by the fires.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has pledged the same amount to fire relief efforts from her family foundation.

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Alec Baldwin files lawsuit against prosecutors in fatal Rust shooting case

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Alec Baldwin files lawsuit against prosecutors in fatal Rust shooting case

Alec Baldwin has filed a lawsuit against prosecutors who pursued a criminal charge against him after the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.

The Hollywood actor, who was the lead actor and co-producer of the Western film, was pointing a gun at Ms Hutchins when it fired in October 2021.

The cinematographer was killed and director Joel Souza was wounded.

Baldwin, 66, was accused of involuntary manslaughter but his trial was upended in July when a judge threw the case out based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of ammunition evidence from the defence.

He has now filed a lawsuit for malicious prosecution and civil rights violations against those involved in pursuing the charge.

The lawsuit alleges that prosecutors intentionally concealed evidence that would absolve Baldwin from blame and “sought at every turn to scapegoat” him to “maliciously bring about or advance” the actor’s trial and conviction.

It claims the defendants, which include special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Santa Fe district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, were “blinded by their desire to convict Baldwin for all the wrong reasons”.

In a statement, Ms Morrissey said: “In October 2023 the prosecution team became aware that Mr Baldwin intended to file a retaliatory civil lawsuit.

“We look forward to our day in court.”

Representatives for Ms Carmack-Altwies have been contacted for comment.

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From July 2024: Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey accused of calling Baldwin a ‘c*********’

Baldwin’s lawsuit has been filed less than a month after Ms Morrissey withdrew an appeal over the court’s decision to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor.

After the lawsuit was filed, Baldwin’s lawyers Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a joint statement: “Criminal prosecutions are supposed to be about the search for truth and justice, not to pursue personal or political gain or harass the innocent.

“Kari Morrissey and the other defendants violated that basic principle, over and over, and trampled on Alec Baldwin’s rights.

“We bring this action to hold the defendants accountable for their misconduct and to prevent them from doing this to anyone else.”

Read more:
What next for Alec Baldwin?
Rust premieres three years after fatal shooting
Prosecutors say Baldwin has ‘no control’ of his emotions

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From November 2024: Tributes paid to Halyna Hutchins at Rust premiere

Baldwin had always denied the charge of involuntary manslaughter, maintaining he did not pull the gun’s trigger and that others on the set in New Mexico were responsible for safety checks on the weapon.

If he had been convicted, he could have faced up to 18 months in prison.

According to the prosecution, the actor had behaved recklessly during a scene rehearsal on the set near Santa Fe, playing “make believe with a real gun” and violating “the cardinal rules of firearm safety”.

Baldwin’s defence team argued this was not true – saying he was “an actor, acting” and “committed no crime”.

Following repeated suggestions from defence lawyer Alex Spiro that evidence had been concealed, in an unusual move, Ms Morrissey called herself to the witness stand during the trial, despite the judge telling her she was not required to do so.

Mr Spiro told the court that she had referred to the actor as a “c*********” and an “arrogant p****” to witnesses. Ms Morrissey said she did not recall this.

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Los Angeles fires: Hanks, Affleck, Witherspoon and Star Wars legend among stars evacuated as fires spread

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Los Angeles fires: Hanks, Affleck, Witherspoon and Star Wars legend among stars evacuated as fires spread

Hollywood celebrities are among thousands of people to have been evacuated from their homes as fires rip through areas of Los Angeles.

Sky News’ US correspondent Martha Kelner reported that Tom Hanks, Ben Affleck and Reese Witherspoon were all evacuated on Tuesday as wildfires continued to spread in the Pacific Palisades suburb of LA.

The blaze spreading there is one of four raging in California.

Follow latest: At least two killed as flames spread

The US flag flies as flames from the Palisades Fire engulf a structure during a windstorm on the west of Los Angeles. Pic: Reuters
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The US flag flies as flames from the Palisades Fire engulf a structure during a windstorm on the west of Los Angeles. Pic: Reuters

A wildfire-ravaged property in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Pic: AP
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A wildfire-ravaged property in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Pic: AP

The area, which is home to billionaires as well as Hollywood A-listers, is located between Santa Monica and Malibu.

Other celebrities who have fled their homes include the award-winning actor James Woods, who said last night he had been safely evacuated from his home in Pacific Palisades.

But he added in a post on X: “I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing.”

Actor Mark Hamill, best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films, also posted on social media last night saying he evacuated his home in Malibu and his family were “fleeing for our lives”.

This Is Us actress Mandy Moore was also forced to leave her home due to the fires.

She said in two Instagram stories she had fled the Eaton fire, which is raging near Altadena, with her children, cats and dog. They have found temporary refuge with friends.

The actress said: “Trying to shield the kids from the immense sadness and worry I feel.

“Praying for everyone in our beautiful city. So gutted for the destruction and loss. Don’t know if our place made it.”

Mark Hamill and Mandy Moore. File Pics: Reuters
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Mark Hamill and Mandy Moore fled their homes. File Pics: Reuters

Ben Affleck Reese Witherspoon Tom Hanks
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Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon and Ben Affleck were all evacuated from their homes. Pics: AP

According to Velvet Ropes, which maps celebrity properties, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Matt Damon, Steven Spielberg, Hilary Swank and Sally Field all have homes close to where fires are raging.

Dr Dre, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Tyra Banks, Martin Short, Anna Faris, Milo Ventimiglia, Linda Cardellini, Mary McDonnell, Adam Sandler, Miles Teller, and Jennifer Love Hewitt are also said to have houses in affected areas.

The Palisades Fire burns a Christmas tree inside a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Pic: AP
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The Palisades Fire burns a Christmas tree inside a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Pic: AP

The skyline of Los Angeles covered with smoke due to wildfires raging in the area. Pic: Reuters
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The skyline of Los Angeles covered with smoke due to wildfires raging in the area. Pic: Reuters

In neighbouring Malibu, which was also affected by fires in December, stars including Beyonce and Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish are said to be among the celebrity residents.

The Palisades blaze has already burnt through more than 11,000 acres of land while the Eaton one has caused the death of two people, Los Angeles County fire chief Anthony Marrone said on Wednesday.

The two other fires are known as Woodley and Hurst, after the main areas affected.

All four blazes are still growing, Mr Marrone said.

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