Former BBC journalist Martin Bashir pushed back Sunday against Prince Harry’s claims linking the unethical practices he used to acquire the famous interview with Princess Diana’s death, according to France 24.
Bashir interviewed Princess Diana in 1995, but independent investigation found he used “deceitful behavior” to obtain the interview. He also went against the BBC’s ethical guidelines by using falsified bank statements to gain access to Princess Diana, according to an investigative report commissioned by the BBC.
Prince Harry responded to the bombshell report saying his mother “lost her life because of this.”
“The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life.” (RELATED: Princes Blast BBC Over Journalist Deceiving Princess Diana, Harry Says She ‘Lost Her Life Because Of This’)
Bashir pushed back, saying claims linking his actions to Diana’s death were “unreasonable.”
“The suggestion I am singularly responsible, I think, is unreasonable and unfair. I don’t feel I can be held responsible for many of the other things that were going on in her life and the complex issues surrounding those decisions,” Bashir told the Sunday Times.
Speaking for the first time since he was found to have obtained his interview with Princess Diana by deception, Martin Bashir sounds like a broken man https://t.co/tNJ7hlhABr
— The Sunday Times (@thesundaytimes) May 23, 2021
The former BBC journalist said he never wanted to harm Diana in “any way.”
“I never wanted to harm Diana in any way, and I don’t believe we did. Everything we did in terms of the interview was as she wanted, from when she wanted to alert the palace, to when it was broadcast, to its contents … My family and I loved her,” he claimed.
Bashir apologized to Prince William and Harry, saying he was “deeply sorry,” according to France 24. Bashir resigned from BBC in mid-May over health concerns, according to a statement from the deputy director of BBC News, Jonathan Munro.
“Martin Bashir has stepped down from his position as the BBC’s Religion Editor and is leaving the Corporation,” the statement read.
“He let us know of his decision last month, just before being readmitted to [the] hospital for another surgical procedure on his heart. Although he underwent major surgery toward the end of last year, he is facing some ongoing issues and has decided to focus on his health. We wish him a complete and speedy recovery.”