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Meghan Markle hires crisis management firm that once represented Harvey Weinstein and Michael Jackson in bid to improve her damaged image
MEGHAN called on a Hollywood crisis management company to help improve her image after being caught up in a string of controversies.
She has hired Sunshine Sachs — a firm whose clients included the late pop star Michael Jackson, who has been accused of paedophilia.
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In a massive break with royal tradition, the Duchess, 38, went behind the backs of Buckingham Palace advisers to hire the company, known for using the so-called “dark arts” of public relations to improve the celebs’ reputations.
Chief executive Shawn Sachs and Keleigh Thomas Morgan, who represented Meghan when she was an actress on the drama Suits, have been guiding her through recent high-profile incidents, including a guest edit of Vogue magazine.
The firm is advising on plans for the new Sussex Royal charity foundation, which Meghan and Prince Harry formed following their split with Prince William and Kate.
Meghan is said to be concerned the public is turning on her after damaging revelations.
HYPOCRISY ACCUSATIONS
These included her relationship with her estranged father Thomas Markle, stories about her negative relationship with William and Kate and hypocrisy over taking four private jet flights in 11 days while claiming she is an eco-warrior.
The move will be seen by Meghan’s critics as yet more evidence that she wants to be treated like a celebrity rather than a member of the Royal Family.
Palace staff are also shocked given the couple already have highly-experienced global PR chief Sara Latham. She was a senior ad- viser to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and worked for Bill Clinton at the White House.
A royal insider revealed: “Hiring a Hollywood firm to represent you for PR while a member of the Royal Family is unorthodox to say the least.
“Senior palace courtiers have been left bemused over the last few months that the couple have been ignoring advice from their own highly-professional team and will instead listen to outsiders in Hollywood.
“But Meghan trusts Keleigh, who got a prime seat at her wedding and she’s known for years.”
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Sunshine Sachs’ clients include Ben Affleck, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Snoop Dogg and Natalie Portman.
The firm represented disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein in 2015 when he was accused of groping model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez.
Last night Buckingham Palace said the couple had hired the company to help launch their foundation in the US.
Firm hand on clients
SUNSHINE Sachs has a record of using underhand tactics to improve the reputation of clients.
In 2015, an executive admitted it employed editors to edit the Wikipedia pages of clients, including Mia Farrow, Sarah Brightman and Naomi Campbell, to remove negative material.
It handled Janet Jackson at the time of her infamous 2004 Superbowl wardrobe malfunction.
This year, the company also took on Empire actor Jussie Smollett, 37, who is believed to have faked a racist hate crime against himself.
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