A fierce online dispute has erupted between supporters and critics of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex following the world premiere of their documentary Cookie Queens at the Sundance Film Festival.
Reports stated numerous seats remained unfilled at the Eccles Theatre screening on Sunday morning, where the couple appeared on the red carpet alongside director Alysa Nahamias.
However, fans of the couple have rejected these claims, describing them as a fabricated conspiracy designed to undermine Harry and Meghan and the Archewell Productions project.
The row has intensified on social media, with both camps exchanging accusations and sharing photographs from inside the venue to bolster their competing narratives about attendance figures.
A fierce online dispute has erupted between supporters and critics of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex following the world premiere of their documentary Cookie Queens at the Sundance Film Festival.
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The New York Post reported that approximately 150 seats were vacant when the Cookie Queens premiere commenced on Sunday morning, with festival passes costing as much as $7,000.
Page Six claimed this figure dropped to around 60 empty seats once the film started ten minutes behind schedule.
Photographs circulating online appeared to show considerable gaps in the balcony section above the packed stalls area before the screening began.
Sussex supporters have countered these reports with what they consider definitive proof.
However, fans of the couple have rejected these claims, describing them as a fabricated conspiracy designed to undermine Harry and Meghan and the Archewell Productions project.
|GETTY
Multiple fans posted screenshots from ticket booking websites demonstrating that no seats were available for the premiere or subsequent screenings in the following days.
The contrast with the previous evening was notable, when attendees were reportedly turned away from Olivia Wilde's The Invite, featuring Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton.
One attendee who was present at the screening dismissed the controversy as absurd. "This is silly, it was a packed house at 9am for a documentary in the biggest theater," they said.
Another supporter took to Twitter with a more forceful rebuttal: "ALL screenings SOLD OUT!"
Several photographs were circulated with sections highlighted to indicate what some observers claimed were substantial numbers of unoccupied seats, particularly in the upper levels of the theatre.
The documentary, which runs for 91 minutes, chronicles four Girl Scouts aged between five and twelve as they navigate the pressures of the annual cookie-selling season.
During her speech on stage, the Duchess expressed gratitude to the early morning audience.
Meghan said: "Thank you so much for being here bright and early. I know some of you probably had late nights last night, so extra thanks for the effort."
The Duchess of Sussex has spoken of her personal connection to the subject matter, having been a Girl Scout herself with her mother, Doria Ragland, serving as troop leader.
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