Following an investigation, a U.K. media regulator has decided not to take action against Piers Morgan for his negative on-air comments about Meghan Markle.
In March, while co-hosting ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Morgan criticized the Duchess of Sussex over her and Prince Harry‘s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, saying he did not believe her remarks, which included a shocking reveal that she’d had suicidal thoughts as a working royal and was allegedly denied help. The journalist, a longtime critic of Meghan’s, got into an on-air argument with weather presenter Alex Beresford over his comments, walked off the set and subsequently left his job.
Meanwhile, the duchess and 50,000 others filed complaints with ITV against Morgan, prompting media regulator Ofcom to launch an investigation. On Wednesday, Sept. 1, the group published its decision.
“Ofcom is clear that, consistent with freedom of expression, Mr Morgan was entitled to say he disbelieved the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s allegations and to hold and express strong views that rigorously challenged their account,” Ofcom said in a bulletin. “The Code allows for individuals to express strongly held and robustly argued views, including those that are potentially harmful or highly offensive, and for broadcasters to include these in their programming. The restriction of such views would, in our view, be an unwarranted and chilling restriction on freedom of expression both of the broadcaster and the audience.”
