“Jeremy Clarkson has been allowed to not only think that, but put it in print.”
The mother of the late TV presenter Caroline Flack has spoken about the dangers of online abuse following the publication of a hateful article by Jeremy Clarkson.
In a column (which has since been deleted online by The Sun), Clarkson said he hated the Duchess of Sussex more than murderer Rose West, and shared that he fantasised about Markle being publicly shamed and humiliated through the streets of Britain.
Speaking to LBC about the column, Caroline’s mother Christine outlined the danger of Clarkson’s words.
She told broadcaster Shelagh Fogarty that we “shouldn’t be allowed to just say awful things”.
She said: “It’s just upset me so much that Jeremy Clarkson has been allowed to not only think that, but put it in print about somebody who we don’t know whether she’s fragile or not.
“I’ve got to kind of explain it, my daughter was Caroline Flack and what was printed in the papers, so much of it was untrue… It’s all too easy just to apologise.”
Christine continued: “I’m too nervous and I can see that even though Meghan and Harry have got all that money, and they even said if they can’t win, how can anyone else win.
‘We shouldn’t just be able to say awful things.’
Caroline Flack's mother shares an emotional warning about the harmful impacts of ‘untrue’ press coverage on people who may be ‘fragile’ after Jeremy Clarkson’s column about Meghan Markle.@ShelaghFogarty pic.twitter.com/WcVLIJD1ke
— LBC (@LBC) December 19, 2022
“They don’t know who they’re dealing with and someone like Jeremy Clarkson can just say what he wants but it gets printed, that’s the worst thing.”
She went on to say that articles like Jeremy’s “fires up” other people who jump on the bandwagon, and that can be “dangerous”.
Yesterday, Jeremy Clarkson said that he was “horrified” by the reaction to his column, and defended it by insisting he was making a “clumsy” reference to a scene in Game of Thrones.
The Independent Press. Standards Organisation has received thousands of complaints in relation to Clarkson’s article.
Earlier this week, Clarkson’s daughter Emily spoke out against his comments.
On Instagram, she wrote: “My views are and have always been clear when it comes to misogyny, bullying and the treatment of women by the media.
“I want to make it very clear that I stand against everything my dad wrote about Meghan Markle and I remain standing in support of those that are targeted with online hatred.”
Related links:
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reveal their 2022 Christmas card
- Jeremy Clarkson’s daughter stands against everything her dad said about Meghan Markle
- Jeremy Clarkson “horrified” over hurt caused by Meghan Markle article
