A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said that the incident, which took place following their appearance at a Ms. Foundation gala alongside Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, lasted several hours and involved several other drivers.

“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,” the spokesperson told multiple outlets. “This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers.”

The event was the first appearance for the couple since the coronation of King Charles III, which saw Prince Harry in attendance.

During the Ms. Foundation 2023 Women of Vision Awards: Celebrating Generations of Progress & Power event, Markle was presented by Gloria Steinem with an award as one of this year’s Woman of Vision Award honorees. The Duchess of Sussex’s global work advocating to empower women and girls was celebrated.

Prince Harry has previously discussed his and Markle’s tenuous relationship with the press, especially the U.K. tabloids, which he has repeatedly accused of trying to exploit his family. He has even drawn comparisons to their treatment and the press’ response to his late mother, Princess Diana.

“This family is ours to exploit, their trauma is our story and our narrative to control,” he said of the press’ treatment of him and Markle in the Netflix documentary.  “I accept that there’ll be people around the world who fundamentally disagree with what I’ve done and how I’ve done it, but I knew that I had to do everything I could to protect my family, especially after what happened to my Mum (Princess Diana). I didn’t want history to repeat itself.”