Meghan Markle's Friend Discussing Paparazzi Harassment Goes Viral

Meghan Markle's relationship with Prince Harry led to Michael Del Zotto being targeted by paparazzi who believed they were in a relationship, the hockey star has revealed.

Del Zotto says he first met Meghan because "Suits was one of my favorite shows" and he was friends with actor Rick Hoffman, who starred alongside the duchess in the series as Louis Litt.

At the time the royal was married to her first husband Trevor Engelson and living in Toronto, where Suits was filmed.

"I remember I got [Hoffman] a signed hat by all the boys and he was extremely thankful for it," Del Zotto told the Spittin Chiclets podcast. "And through these times Meghan was around with him, you know, co-stars on the show and she was married at the time.

"We had a picture of us together where I think it was the three of us were out. I believe it was Soho House, in Toronto. We had a drink before dinner.

"Fast forward, she's now engaged to the prince and headlines are blowing up. Everyone's digging into her past, her past dating history: who she knows.

"I started getting calls, like we're friends, you know, I was friends with her through Rick. Sure enough, my mom's getting called. They get access, the British press is getting access to my mom's cell phone, asking 'hey did your son and Meghan Markle have a relationship?'

"My mom's like like 'what the f*** is going on.' She calls me right away. Okay, now I'm embarrassed."

Del Zotto said he was at practice in Vancouver and was leaving when he was approached: "I'm walking out. Sure enough this guy sprints over at me, in his accent, goes 'did you have relations with Megan Markle?'

"I'm like, 'who the f*** is this guy? What's this guy asking me?' And sure enough in the background, there's probably I don't know like four cars in the background and there's numerous cameras taking pictures and video of me, the paparazzi's back there, asking what the f*** is going on right now?

"I sprint to my car, a bunch of the boys come out. They call me after like, 'what is going on?' I'm like 'I don't know apparently I dated or was married to Megan Markle, so that's a rude awakening for me.'

"You got to be careful with who you're friends with and what pictures you post out there because nothing ever happened but the paparazzi somehow found me."

Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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