Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been slammed by Justine Bateman as ‘disaster tourists’ after they appeared volunteering during the LA wildfires.Twitter to blast the couple after they were spotted in footage dressed in plain clothes and speaking with victims and other helpers.
The former working royals were spotted in a clip out and about at an evacuation centre – just hours before it was confirmed the death toll of the blazes had climbed to 24.
Bateman wrote online: ‘Meghan Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers.
‘What a repulsive “photo op” they achieved. They are “touring the damage”? Are they politicians now?
‘They don’t live here; they are tourists. Disaster Tourists.’
Video captured by Fox 11 Los Angeles showed Harry and Meghan in Pasadena on Friday, mingling with volunteers and the city’s mayor, Victor Gordo.
But the couple were keen to provide any support they could, according to the mayor, saying they were ‘great people’ with ‘great personalities’.
‘They really buoyed the spirits of the first responders. We visited the command post at the Rose Bowl and people were very happy to see them,’ Gordo added.
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Justine Bateman, 58, took to X/Twitter to blast the couple who were seen in footage dressed in plain clothes and speaking with other helpers. Bateman wrote: ‘Meghan Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers’
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Meghan Markle was spotted comforting victims and first responders at an evacuation centre, on Friday amid the ongoing fires in LA
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Meghan Markle speaks with Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, center, and Doug Goodwin, who’s home was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, in Altadena
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Flames near the Mandeville Canyon on January 11
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been handing out food parcels to those affected by the devastating fires at the Pasadena Convention Centre which is being used as an evacuation centre.
The couple were also spotted hugging José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, which is distributing free hot meals to the public and emergency crews in the wake of the wildfires.
The interaction was broadcast live on FOX LA, with news anchor Susan Hirasuna later being slammed online for describing Meghan as ‘Princess Markle’.
She also received criticism for saying Meghan was ‘hanging out with the commoners’.
It comes after the couple opened the doors to their $29million mansion in Montecito, which is around 90 miles from LA, to their friends and loved ones who were forced to evacuate the ongoing wildfires.
Speaking to FOX LA, Mayor Gordo said: ‘They (Harry and Meghan) want to be as helpful as they can be and really they just want to be supportive.’
He added that the couple visited some of the burnt out houses in Pasadena and Altadena and spoke to those who had lost their homes.
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Meghan Markle, who was described as Princess Markle by a FOX LA anchor, was seen consoling victims of the wildfires at the Pasadena Convention Center on Friday
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Meghan and Harry pictured with other volunteers after helping LA wildfire victims
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been handing out food parcels to those affected by the devastating fires at the Pasadena Convention Centre which is being used as an evacuation centre
‘They took the time to meet the people who were affected and spend time. They are just very caring people who are very concerned for their friends and neighbours,’ Gordo said.
The fires that have ravaged the city have killed 24 people and burned through almost 14,000 acres.
The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner published a list of fatalities without giving details of any identities. Eight of the dead were found in the Palisades Fire zone, and 16 in the Eaton Fire zone, the document said.
Around 4,000 to 5,000 structures have also been damaged or destroyed including the homes of Hollywood A-listers.
US President Joe Biden has chillingly predicting the death toll is likely to rise after he described the terrifying situation as ‘like a war scene’.
Bateman’s public blasting comes after Meghan yesterday revealed she was pushing forward the release date of her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, due to the ongoing LA wildfire crisis.
The programme was set to be released on January 15, but this has now been moved to March 4.
A statement issued by the Duchess of Sussex on Sunday, three days before the series was scheduled to debut, read: ‘I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California.’
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Flames engulf a structure as the Eaton Fire burns in Pasadena on January 7
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Meghan is seen consolling José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, as they made an appearance at the Pasadena Convention Centre on Friday
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Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle speak with Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo
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Meghan Markle has pushed the release of her new Netflix show to March 4 due to the LA wildfires
With Love, Meghan reportedly includes tributes to the California-based royal’s home state and her personal ties to it.
PR experts recently questioned the timing of the release of Meghan’s Netflix cookery show and said it should be postponed amid the wildfires.
They suggested to air it now could come across as ‘insensitive’ and ‘tone deaf’ and cause a fierce backlash against the royal couple.
UK brand and culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline: ‘I think Netflix bosses will be having to make some big decisions as whether to air With Love, Meghan in the next week.
‘With the show being so centred on California life, Los Angeles and Montecito, providing a glimpse into aspirational and inspirational living, I suspect it will be pulled from its current schedule and delayed for at least a few months.’
A description of the series on Tudum’s website said: ‘Produced by Meghan, With Love, Meghan blends practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends, new and old.
‘Meghan shares personal tips and tricks, embracing playfulness over perfection, and highlights how easy it can be to create beauty, even in the unexpected.
‘She and her guests roll up their sleeves in the kitchen, the garden, and beyond, and invite you to do the same.’
