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If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sue 'South Park' they should remember how Tom Cruise fared during CLOSETGATE

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are planning to sue 'South Park' over their portrayal in an episode
PUBLISHED FEB 21, 2023
The situation of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and 'South Park' is similar to when Tom Cruise was featured on the show (Hector Vivas/Getty Images; Screenshot from ar. BRUH/YouTube; Mike Coppola/Getty Images; TribesBrittania/Twitter)
The situation of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and 'South Park' is similar to when Tom Cruise was featured on the show (Hector Vivas/Getty Images; Screenshot from ar. BRUH/YouTube; Mike Coppola/Getty Images; TribesBrittania/Twitter)

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Meghan Markle has been "upset and overwhelmed" by how she and her husband, Prince Harry, were portrayed on an episode of the adult-animated comedy show 'South Park' titled 'The Worldwide Privacy Tour.' The Duchess of Sussex was reportedly "annoyed by South Park but refuses to watch it all," an insider claimed. The royal duo's lawyers have plans to sue 'South Park.'

Meanwhile, a similar instance had happened on Episode 12 of 'South Park' Season 9, which aired on November 16, 2005. In the epiosde, Tom Cruise was portrayed as gay and his association with Scientology was mentioned.  

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Royal commentator Neil Sean reportedly claimed, "Their legal team are casting an eye over the episode to see what is wrong, and what could be turned into something more sinister. This appears to be their course of action rather than laughing it off, enjoying the moment and showing the world that they get the joke."

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive at the United Nations Headquarters on July 18, 2022 in New York City. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex is the keynote speaker during the United Nations General assembly to mark the observance of Nelson Mandela International Day where the 2020 U.N. Nelson Mandela Prize will be awarded to Mrs. Marianna Vardinogiannis of Greece and Dr. Morissanda Kouyaté of Guinea.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are unhappy about how they were portrayed on 'South Park' ( Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

How was Tom Cruise portrayed in 'South Park'?

In the episode, titled 'Trapped in the closet,' Cruise is depicted as a gay man. He had previously documented a list of litigations against individuals involved in and spreading rumors about his sexuality. This led to speculation that he might sue the 'South Park' team. The episode, which was initially aired on November 16, 2005, was scheduled to air again on  March 15, 2006. However, it was replaced with 'Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls' without prior notice. This led to a rumors that Cruise had threatened to back out of promotions of the Paramount Pictures movie 'Mission: Impossible III' if Viacom, which owns Comedy Central and Paramount, allowed a repeat airing of the episode. Despite the controversy, the episode was nominated for an Emmy Award in July 2006, in the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program section. 

Tom Cruise attends the Korea Red Carpet for
Tom Cruise's representation as a gay man in an episode of 'South Park' became a controversy ( Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

However, Cruise's publicist reportedly claimed, "Tom had nothing to do with this matter. He's been promoting Mission: Impossible III for the last six months. We have no clue where this came from."

Addressing the issues related to his sexuality and Scientiology, Cruise said, "First of all, could you ever imagine sitting down with anyone? I would never sit down with someone and question them on their beliefs. Here's the thing: I'm really not even going to dignify this. I honestly didn't really even know about it. I'm working, making my movie, I've got my family. I'm busy. I don't spend my days going, 'What are people saying about me?'" per the Irish Examiner. This whole controversy was called 'Closetgate' by the Los Angeles Times. Though the Church of Scientology asked that the season not be released on DVD, the opposite happened. 

How were Meghan Markle and Prince Harry portrayed on 'South Park?'

Meghan Markle was portrayed as a "sorority girl, actress, influencer and victim." In the episode, the young royal couple begged for privacy while drawing attention to themselves. The episode also mocks the couple as they walk into 'Good Morning Canada' with placards that read, "We want privacy."

In the show, we the host asks, "Isn't it true sir, that your questionable wife has her own TV show and hangs out with celebrities and does fashion magazines? Well, I just think that some people might say that your Instagram-loving b---- wife actually doesn't want her privacy," a thinly-veiled reference to Markle's stint on 'Suits'. The Canadian Prince, said to be Prince Harry, replies, "How dare you, sir. My Instagram-loving b---- wife has always wanted her privacy!" per Fox News. The royal couple will have a long battle with the creators if they decide to take the legal route.

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