Meghan Markle Skips Awards Ceremony Days After ‘Nearly Disastrous’ Car Chase

Meghan Markle skipped the Women In Media awards ceremony following what was described as an “almost catastrophic” paparazzi car chase through Manhattan.

The Duchess of Sussex, 41, was due to receive a shining gong at the Gracie Awards on Tuesday for her ‘Archetypes’ podcast.

But after claiming she and husband Prince Harry were involved in a terrifying car chase on May 16, it appears the exiled royals have decided to stay home.

Despite her absence from the Beverly Hills ceremony, the Duchess released a statement in response to her win for Best Entertainment Podcast Host.

“Thank you to the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation for this prestigious honor,” Markle said in her statement.

“It’s a shared success for me and the team behind Archetypes – most of whom are women – and the inspiring guests who join me every week.”

Last week, a Sussex spokesperson claimed that Harry, Meghan and his mother, Doria Ragland, were involved in a ‘near-catastrophic car chase’.

Harry, 38, and Markle left the Ziegfeld Theater in Midtown with Ragland around 9:50 p.m. after an awards ceremony.

The trio were then followed by paparazzi unable to get photos of the famous couple as they left the venue.

Shortly after, a rep for the couple said the ordeal happened “at the hands of a very aggressive ring of paparazzi.”

“This relentless chase, which lasted over two hours, resulted in multiple near misses involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” Harry’s rep said.

“While being a public figure brings some public interest, it should never come at the expense of anyone’s safety.”

“The release of these images, given the manner in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive and dangerous practice for all involved,” the statement concluded.

The photo agency in question, Backgrid USA, pushed back against the claims, saying its snappers “had no intention of causing distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras.”

The company refused to hand over images of the ordeal from its photographers after the couple requested it.

The NYPD is investigating the royal couple’s allegations.