Meghan Markle was among the women honored at the 48th annual Gracie Awards. The Duchess of Sussex, who launched her podcast Archetypes last year, won “Podcast Host - Entertainment [DM - National]” at the event presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation.
When it was announced in March that she had been named top entertainment podcast host, the Duchess released a statement saying, “Thank you to the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation for this prestigious honor. This is a shared success for me and the team behind Archetypes – most of whom are women – and the inspiring guests who joined me each week.”
The Gracies Awards honor “exemplary programming and individual talent created by, for and about women.” While Meghan was one of this year’s winners, she did not attend the gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on May 23, nor did she make a virtual appearance.
© Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Ms. Foundation for WomenThe event took place a week after Meghan, her mother Doria Ragland and Prince Harry attended the Ms. Foundation for Women’s 2023 Women of Vision Awards, where the Duchess was honored for her global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls. The day after the event in New York City, a spokesperson for Meghan and Harry said, “Last night, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.”
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” the spokesperson continued. “While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.”
In a statement shared with HOLA! USA, the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, Julian Phillips, said that“the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex” and that “there were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging,” adding, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”
