Piers Morgan was cleared by British media regulator Ofcom Wednesday after the organization investigated his comments about Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
“The interview between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Oprah Winfrey contained serious allegations and it was legitimate for this Programme to discuss and scrutinise those claims including their veracity. Ofcom is clear that, consistent with freedom of expression, Mr Morgan was entitled to say he disbelieved the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s allegations and to hold and express strong views that rigorously challenged their account,” said a conclusion statement from Ofcom posted by Morgan to his Twitter.
Morgan famously — and permanently — stormed off the set of “Good Morning Britain” after his comments questioning Markle’s statements that she’d felt suicidal and experienced racism while living in Britain near her husband’s royal family.
“BREAKING: @Ofcom rejects all complaints against me over Meghan Markle furore that led to my exit from @GMB. Verdict says I was entitled to disbelieve her & Prince Harry & to restrict my right to do so would be a ‘chilling restriction on freedom of expression,’” Morgan wrote on Twitter.
According to reports from the BBC, Ofcom received over 50,000 complaints about Morgan’s comments.
The Ofcom statement went on, “The Code allows for individuals to express strongly held and robustly argued views, including those that are ptoentially harmful or highly offensive, and for broadcasters to include these in their programming. The restriction of such views would, in our view, be an unwarranted and chilling restriction on freedom of expression both of the broadcaster and the audience.”
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