★ What is Gossip Cop? Find out! ★

Nurse Tricked in Kate Middleton Hospital Prank Dead In Apparent Suicide

Truth rating: 10

10:32 am, December 7th, 2012

(GettyImages)

The hospital nurse who answered a prank phone call from Australian radio hosts pretending to be the Queen of England and Prince Charles inquiring about Kate Middleton’s condition has been found dead in an apparent suicide.

Jacintha Saldanha was found unconscious and later pronounced dead in London on Friday morning, just a few days after she mistakenly put another nurse on the phone with the 2Day FM disc jockeys who committed the hoax.

Saldanha, a four-year member of the nursing staff, leaves behind a husband and two children.

In a statement, King Edward VII’s Hospital chief executive John Lofthouse confirmed the nurse’s passing, and said, ”Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends.”

“Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much loved and valued colleague,” he added.

St. James Palace also released a statement on behalf of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, saying the royals are “deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jacintha Saldanha.”

“Their Royal Highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time,” the statement read.

The Palace also noted that no complaints were filed against the nurse over the prank, saying, “On the contrary we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times.”

It is not known whether Middleton and Saldanha had any interaction during the princess’ hospital stay, but the Palace acknowledged “it was very possible given the [small] size” of the facility.

Following the mix-up on Tuesday, a King Edward VII’s Hospital rep said the staff “deeply regrets this incident,” and radio station apologized “for any inconvenience caused by the inquiry.”

Gossip Cop will have updates.

PICS – Kate’s Pregnancy Hits Newsstands

Follow @GossipCop on Twitter.

Like us on Facebook.

You might like:

Lily

This is unbelievably sad. I wonder how funny those DJs think it is now. I smell a wrongful death suit for that radio station.It just goes to show, not everything that’s funny to you is funny to everyone else.
Glow

This is so wrong what those Media people did in Australia.People in England are very loyal to the Queen and her family. I feel sure that poor woman was consumed with guilt.
Just another example of how invasive the media has become in our world . Verbal bullying , Paps saying horrible things to celebrities ( Kristen Stewart ) and on and on . It used to be they just took a picture of famous people. And now, God help famous people. And God Help this poor woman’s family as they attempt to deal with this atrocity , once again, by the media mongers.
me!

They apologized for any “inconvenience” casued? Are you kidding – “inconvenience”? They humiliated a woman into thinking she had no other choice but suicide to deal with it for their own selfish promotion. Time for tabloids, radio heads and papz to finally get it that they are messing with peoples lives. It doesn’t matter is a commoner or a celebrity, every is entitled to be treated with human decency. I’m really horrified by this.
Robsten

This makes me so sad to hear, this is awfull!
niki

Or maybe some one klilled her!!! I cant believe its suicide,
Windmills

My blood is really boiled right now…When is enough??

First Princess Di with the paparazzi

Now this? What is next ? Who is next ? Where is the conscience of these media people?
JMHO4

I hope BOTH of those DJ’s lose their jobs over this….it was NOT funny and now look at the consequences. So, SO, sad….my prayers go out to the family…
Karen

Poor woman was probably ridiculed to death
Kate

Oh my gosh, this is terrible. Those DJ’s should be ashamed of themselves and fired for what they did to this poor woman. My thoughts and prayers are with her family.
Kate

Me too, they should be ashamed of themselves.
Claire

Not to worry, Lily…the family will bring a lawsuit against the radio station, its affiliates, subsidiaries and of course these individuals as well. The hospital may hold just a little responsibility in the area of proper training practices. I feel awful for this person and her family. Unspeakable!
DJ suck

I agree I hope they both get fired. And I think that the husband should go after the radio station she left behind 2 young kids. Wonder what the DJ S would say to the kids would they still think it was funny? People are sick
Laarni

This is so tragic. The media/reporters would go to any length to get information and that is a fact, but I suspect the hospital’s attitude towards her might have contributed a lot to the culmination on her part to make this tragic decision. So sad.
chris

Sad. I don’t think you can blame the DJ’s for the original stunt. She obviously decided to do this out of her own free will. I think more of blame should go to those that constantly made fun of her error and probably helped her sink to this level. A little more compassion to our fellow mankind will go a long ways.
Vanessa

this is so pathetic! i hope the dj’s are sued for every penny they have and lose everything own. heartless bastards they are! my prayers are with the family…
jenver

I hate when people sue but this is one instance where I hope you are right. Still, I’m sure she didn’t just commit suicide over this one incident. Maybe she was already depressed and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I didn’t listen to the radio bit, but wasn’t it already common knowledge why the princess was in the hospital?
Lilyx0x

Prank gone wrong. Those DJs should feel ashamed of themselves. I honestly think people should stay away from anything serious especially when it involves the Royal family. Most people from England really cares about them and since she made one minor mistake, I bet that nurse felt embarrassed and people probably gave her the cold shoulder for it.
they are all guilty

Don’t blame the DJs but those who shamed her and punished her.Hospital administartion and thier crule punishemnt. She should have been re trained in HIPPA policies. Doctors operate on wrong limbs and nobody suffers taht much.Karma will get those royals. Brits are sick society.
j23o

I hope those DJ’s are happy with one another.She leaves a husband and two children.Happy christmas from them both.I hope they get sacked.
Mandy

She wasn’t shamed, she wasn’t disciplined…. the people to blame are the DJ’s for doing something highly inappropriate and bragging about it afterwards. They should be ashamed of themselves and should face charges for manslaughter. And you my friend are the one who is sick!
they did it

How do you know what was done to her? Logic will tell you that if”nothing” was doen she would not feel hers was the only action possible. Barnie Madoff is week, thank you. That woud never happened in USA . They forgot to tell that woman that what she did was forgiveable. What harm did those DJs did to Kate Middelton? None!She should have told teh hospital staff thaty it was O.K. with her. I would not want to be in Kate shoes either. Her baby is already stained.
them

What did the royal hospital do to to this poor hard working nurse? She was not crazy if she worked there.
Mandy

Because I listen to the news and I work in England – I know how disciplinary hearings work. You are now blaming Kate Middleton and making cruel comments about her unborn child when actually the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the DJ’s. Bet they’re not laughing now…
Peargrin

From 2dayfm’s Facebook page:

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) and 2Day FM are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward VII’s Hospital and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family and all that have been affected by this situation around the world.

Chief Executive Officer Rhys Holleran has spoken with the presenters, they are both deeply shocked and at this time we have agreed that they not comment about the circumstances. SCA and the hosts have decided that they will not return to their radio show until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy.
Amy

Really? You really felt the need to bring in kristen stewart’s name here? Good lord. Anyways, back to the actual topic of this board. It’s more than just the media that is to be blamed. Blame the djs for playing that joke and then airing that phone call, blame the nurse for not following the laws set up to protect a patient’s privacy, but most importantly blame the people who feel like the need to weigh in on other people’s lives and choices and rip them apart for it. Sure the media puts that information out there, but the people reading it are the ones who think it’s ok to tear people apart for the bad decisions other people make. And that makes the media think it’s ok to yell nasty things at celebrities to get a rise out of them, or to exploit someone else’s private life because then people will buy their pictures/articles. It’s a vicious circle
Kourt The Therapist

There had to be a lot more going in this woman’s life for her to do something so drastic.So sad.
mslewis

This is really sad, especially for the nurse’s two children and husband. I can imagine she felt terrible about what happen but surely it wasn’t cause for her to kill herself. Such a terrible thing for everybody and those DJs should be, at the very least, suspended and sanctioned by their employer.
Guest

A) it was a nurse who operates the switchboard NOT the nurse who gave the info and B) if you listen to the segment, it is clearly a joke and they never actually expected to be put through. Yes this is incredibly sad but there was no malice on the dj’s part and saying that it is their fault is just trying to place blame for a tragic event.
Gina

OMG did you seriously bring up Kristen Stewart? Are you for real??? This women killed herself! last i check K stew was a huge celeb with a ton of money who brigs any bs she receives upon herself by acting the way she does with her bad attitude and smugness all the time and by having an affair with her married director. Dont compare her to this poor woman who works her ass off every day to make in one month what kristen stewart probably makes in one hour
webstu

“Any inconvenience??????!!!!!”
http://twitter.com/IceBreaker888 Ice Breaker

I strongly suspect that all those Hospital officials who now express their “sympathies” made life a living hell for the poor woman who got conned by the two Aussies.

And for what? Revealing some medical facts about an ex-party-girl who managed to climb up much higher than she ever hoped?
they did it

Agree! They humoliate her beyond limits.She must be a goos nurse to work in such fancy hospital. If they laughed about the joke and took it as a joke she would have been alive.2 lonekly kids left. For who? How are they better? What harm did they suffer from her action?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=841035304 Tricia Cringle

I never thought this was funny to begin with such bad taste to do this to the duchess of Cambridge did anyone learn anything from the hell Princess Diana endured. Leave the Royals alone!
Guest

Well, I hope those two Aussie DJ’s are happy now. They looked so smug on TV congratulating themselves on how silly the nurse was because their accents were so bad, and who would have believed them anyway……made me sick to my stomach. She sounded so lovely too, on the recording they made of the conversation. This is just so shocking.
Victoria

No way, too fishy I think she was Murdered!!! Now, do the DJ’s at that radio station think it’s so funny?!!!???
Lisa doll

I am an Australian & all I can say is this is a disgrace! It wasn’t funny & to think the two kids won’t have a mother for Christmas is so sad. The radio hosts – who??? I never heard of them before this. I hope the radio station fires them and that the royals charge them for impersonating the Queen & Prince Charles. I also hope that the family sue the radio hosts & the radio station. This BS that Aussies make jokes & pranks um nothing like this and only with close friends. I’m embarrassed to be Australian! I for one didn’t see the funny side of this prank. My heart goes out to Jacintha, her husband, children and her family & friends!
Laura

Don’t blame the DJs are you thick??? You obviously are if your spellings anything to go by. If it wasn’t for the DJs she would still be alive, doing her job saving lives. The hospital never discipline the two nurses involved the total opposite they gave her their full support and so did England seeing as I should know living in England everyone was disgusted with the DJs. Think before you make stupid comments there are two little boys who will have to grown without their mummy
Karina

So the hospital and the Palace were so “behind and in support” of her that she
felt the need to kill herself. Can’t believe that for one second. The hospital
was embarrassed they must’ve reprimanded her in some way imo. Maybe
when her family members speak out there will be more info.
shame on you Britts

Scotland Yard needs to investigate the Hospital’s attitude towards the nurse. I believe that they are the first ones at fault.
Your Princess too has blood on her hands. She is seen above otehres, a deity.!! She eats and shitssz like we all do. Shame on you all Brits for cruelty.
shame on you Britts

This is unbelievable. I can’t imagine the blame, shame and reprimands she must have went to, to have been pushed to suicide. I am really interested to know how her upper management reacted to the prank and what she was told by them.
pay

The royal family should demonstrate their compassion in the face of this tragedy not just with a public statement but by setting up a trust fund for this nurses’s children. And that would certainly be the honorable thing for the Aussie radio station to do as well. Kate’s child will not want for anything, but this nurse’s kids are now without a mother.
she said so

So very sorry for Jacinta’s family and loved ones. How very sad when a prank turns intoo something so ugly. If the Duchess were truely concerned about her privacy she would not have been flaunting her half nude body while swimming in a relative’s pool. A lady is a lady and she doesn’t quite hit the mark in that regard. I cannot really believe the palace would have this woman fired over a phone call gone wrong. Do the Royals really think they are that special that they can be embarassed by a silly phone call when Charles carried on like he did with Camilla before he divorced Diana? Pompus is one thing but overbearing and pretentious are another. Someone from the Royal family should attend that poor woman’s funeral and do more than extend apologies.
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY

no investigation on the suspected suicide!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no word on a note left, witnesses???? all hospital management and royal statements only? how can there be a blame? why does there always have to be a blame. presenters, reports djs are just people that are paid for medalling and interfearing in peoples lives famous or not….WHY BECAUSE YOU BUY THERE LIES AND ASSUMPTIONS for 30p. open your eyes. every single message on this page is a guess of the truth, as is mine. FACT
the way

The nurse was bullied and shaned to death by royal fans.
Jill

Those radio djs who pulled this prank should be fired ASAP.
Jamie T

It also may have had nothing to do with this incidence, no one knows her circumstances.
Jamie T

It’s also possible that it had nothing to do with that radio incident. No one knows her personal circumstances.
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY

Precisely my point, my previous discussion was removed, what a crippled world we live in.
for those that missed it, i took another approach to this discussion, away from the blame but its clear all this site wanted is repeated comments.
missylalawhite

It’s sad what happened, but everyone here is blaming someone for her suicide. We don’t know what was going through her mind. It may have nothing to do with the prank call incident at all, it could have been something that was ongoing with her.
I feel for her children and husband, such a tragedy right before Christmas. I won’t blame the Duchess, the Queen, the hospital, or even the radio djs. It’s pointless to blame someone when we don’t even have all the facts.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Grey/100001308117491 Michael Grey

First Diana and now the nurse…the Royal Family is bad luck
Jim

Im wondering why this nurse who operated the switchboards commited suicide. Did the hospital threaten her or was she going to be fired? Or was it the royal family who complained unofficially?…Question still remains why did this nurse who is a mother of two killed herself over this unimportant event. To be honest with everyone, who cares if Kate and William is having a baby, there are sooo many people in this world having kids, its not that important. Im very saddend by the suicide of this nurse and her leaving behind a husband and two kids.
Anon

Ok yeah bringing Kristen Stewart into this is weird and stupid but what you said is a perfect example of why this suicide possibly happened. If the nurse did it out of embarrasment or harrassment it’s because of people like you.
People who have to broadcast their hateful opinions about people they don’t even know. Celebrities are the main target but this nurse inadvertently became somewhat of a celebrity after this weeks prank and her suicide is most likely due to overwhelming verbal abuse from the general public.

Your fixation on Kristen Stewart show you only replied to that commented because of your dislike for her not because you wanted to defend the nurse. I neither like nor dislike Kristen but there are celebrities who sometimes really annoy me and I don’t feel I need to express that with a hateful rant. You can live your life without paying attention to her if you don’t like her. I guarantee it will affect your life less.
Anon

I think the radio station should have used better judgement in releasing the call. It became a legal issue when the nurses gave out private medical information and the djs and radio execs all knew some jobs would be in question here.

Hospitals are busy places and especially hospital switchboards which means there might have been some information lost in translation between the nurses during the hand-off of the call. This could explain why they both fell for the put-on voices.

I myself have laughed at radio prank calls but they were harmless and there were definately legal repurcutions to allowing this prank to be followed through.
Anon

She was swimming on a private estate in the presence of only her husband! If she wanted to prove she’s a lady…does that mean she should keep clothes on at all times including when she was making that baby with her husband…. would that make her a lady!? Does she have to put on clean knickers and cut the dirty ones off her so that she may never be naked. Is that what makes you a lady?

Also I can’t tell if you’re for or against the royals here??? Your comment jumps around a bit!
susan

none of this would have happened if the DJs didn’t make the call to begin with.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=722830873 Melissa Marwick

Umm, I guess I’m in the minority.

I don’t think the DJ’s are entirely at fault. This kind of thing happens all the time and it’s never meant as a malevolent horrible mean thing. It’s a joke.

There’s something we obviously don’t know about Jacintha. I can’t imagine she would do this given the apparent support she received from the hospital and the comments made by the Duke and Duchess. She must have had prior issues and this incident was the last straw.

I’m not saying the DJ’s shouldn’t be upset. And reports say the DJ’s removed themselves from the air. But if you blame the DJ’s, you blame Kate and Will as well. If they hadn’t checked into that hospital there would never have been the call. But it’s ridiculous right? It’s not their fault that someone did this.

They’re bloody royalty. Anyone could have assumed there would going to be pranks being played and I’ve seen 4 or 5 pranks like this in similar situations. I don’t blame the DJ’s. They played a trick that they figured would get shot down and didn’t. If someone from the US had done it, or even if there’d been no negative response, this would be hilariously recounted, forwarded on facebook, shared on Twitter and enjoyed immensely.

Stop being hypocrites. Pray for the women’s poor children and grieving husband. Stop looking for a villain. Just let it be.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=722830873 Melissa Marwick

I’m from Canada, love Duchess Catherine, and am excited to see the future King or Queen. But I do not blame the DJ’s. Nobody, including the DJ’s expected all this fallout and NOBODY thought a nurse would kill herself over it.
2819

Does everyone honestly think that it’s the DJs faults? Seriously, if there hadn’t been a death, everyone would be laughing, how could you possible predict that someone would suicide over a phone call? Yes a tragedy has happened, and my prayers go out to the family, but we should all stop looking for someone to place he blame on, it’s getting out of control
Jamie T

apparently it wasn’t even the nurse who took the call, only the one that transferred the call.
Jessie

Mate, to say you’re embarrassed to be Australian is disgraceful! I’m a very proud Aussie. What Mel and Michael did with the prank call has been done 1000s of times and they didn’t expect to get past hello. To crucify them for something that wasn’t done to harm… Nothing of what the nurse said re Kate was private info, it was all public knowledge. These DJs are devastated at what has happened they are having counselling. The show is off the air, which the djs themselves wanted because they are now dealing with this tragic news. These are not malicious people, with malicious intent. For people on here to know fragments of what has happened and sit on your throne in judgent… My heart breaks for the family that has lost their loved one, but these DJs don’t deserve such hate…
Jessie

You know what people? You have to stop this. You are all sitting here on your thrones passing judgement and saying ‘off with their heads’ about two people that had no malicious intent and that are completely devastated at what has happened. lawyers checked the taped call before allowing it on air. none of what was said was private, it was already in the press. They never thought they would get past hello and could NEVER have predicted what tragedy would come later. Was it a poor choice to air it, in hindsight, absolutely but don’t crucify two people that are already crucifying themselves…
Jessie

Hey, guest, are you seriously doing the ‘i hope they’re happy now’ thing? Sure… they are just sooo happy… they were on tv before this tragedy. they weren’t patting themselves on the back over what has happened. These people are devastated so why dont back up a bit.
Jessie

Very well said. Mel and Michael are devastated and have recieved couselling, so they don’t need to be pounded more.
Guest

If you had read on a little further, I said I saw them on TV laughing at how easy it was to play the prank and how ridiculous they sounded with their phony accents….. this was BEFORE the tragic death of this nurse. They have not been on TV since the news came out about her death, OK? Please try to read correctly, Jessie…I’m sure they are really upset.
Jessie

I’m sorry, but WHERE exactly did you clarify that the tv bit was BEFORE? All i saw was (see previous my reply)! Oh and as for your ‘read correctly’ comment… maybe proof read your own comments ;)
R. McBride

The poor, poor lady. She was instantly under siege by the press and paparazzi. An average person who doesn’t have money to get out of town or hire media and security personnel would be completely at the mercy of it all. It had to be absolutely overwhelming. These nitwits who work these TV and radio shows don’t stop to think of what the consequences might be to someone who gets caught up in their nonsense. I hope her family sues.
klg1956

Are you crazy? She committed suicide because of how the hospital staff treated her after she mistakenly put the phone call through, not because she made a mistake…and she would never be able to get another job in the NHI industry ever again, and she knew that and then being treated so horribly by the ENTIRE staff at the hospital, was enough to put her over the edge…this had nothing to do with the phone call mistake itself, this is a bully tactic by govt workers (kind of like union thugs) now that the govt is in control of England’s health care system and when she committed suicide, they had to find a finger to point to that took the guilty finger off themselves (govt employees) who treated her so badly..so they pick on the djs…you obviously have outcome based education in England which sans critical thinking skills. You are all brainwashed now! This is exactly like our Benghazi Ambassador being murdered because of lack of protection and running guns to Syria and then our Obama and media point to a protest that never happened outside of our Embassy….and most Americans don’t even know that a protest was never outside his area before the walls were breached….we are over as a world of freedoms and the UN will control all of us because we are ignorant!
klg1956

Yes, being ridiculed and the fact that she would not be able to ever get another job in her field….put her over the edge.
klg1956

Are you crazy? She committed suicide because of how the hospital staff
treated her after she mistakenly put the phone call through, not because
she made a mistake…and she would never be able to get another job in
the NHI industry ever again, and she knew that and then being treated so
horribly by the ENTIRE staff at the hospital, was enough to put her
over the edge…this had nothing to do with the phone call mistake
itself, this is a bully tactic by govt workers (kind of like union
thugs) now that the govt is in control of England’s health care system
and when she committed suicide, they had to find a finger to point to
that took the guilty finger off themselves (govt employees) who treated
her so badly..so they pick on the djs…you obviously have outcome based
education in England which sans critical thinking skills. You are all
brainwashed now! This is exactly like our Benghazi Ambassador being
murdered because of lack of protection and running guns to Syria and
then our Obama and media point to a protest that never happened outside
of our Embassy….and most Americans don’t even know that a protest was
never outside his area before the walls were breached….we are over as a
world of freedoms and the UN will control all of us because we are ignorant!
klg1956

Yes, and the entire staff ridiculed her for days, that and knowing she would never be able to get another job in her health care field, a govt industry, the govt would make sure of that, put her over the edge and she took her own life. Govt employees, thugs and bullies and one by one it will happen to them….
klg1956

Are you crazy? She committed suicide because of how the hospital staff
treated her after she mistakenly put the phone call through, not because
she made a mistake…and she would never be able to get another job in
the NHI industry ever again, and she knew that and then being treated so
horribly by the ENTIRE staff at the hospital, was enough to put her
over the edge…this had nothing to do with the phone call mistake
itself, this is a bully tactic by govt workers (kind of like union
thugs) now that the govt is in control of England’s health care system
and when she committed suicide, they had to find a finger to point to
that took the guilty finger off themselves (govt employees) who treated
her so badly..so they pick on the djs…you obviously have outcome based
education in England which sans critical thinking skills. You are all
brainwashed now! This is exactly like our Benghazi Ambassador being
murdered because of lack of protection and running guns to Syria and
then our Obama and media point to a protest that never happened outside
of our Embassy….and most Americans don’t even know that a protest was
never outside his area before the walls were breached….we are over as a
world of freedoms and the UN will control all of us because we are ignorant!
klg1956

You got it, the govt workers ridiculed her so badly and that with the knowledge she could never get another job in her field (govt job) put her over the edge……you are a critical thinker and a genius…..then when the govt needed a scapegoat, picked on the djs to take the heat..to take the cameras off of themselves which caused this mess.

Top Stories

Busting bad dish!

Nurse Tricked in Kate Middleton Hospital Prank Dead In Apparent Suicide

You might like:

Subscribe to Gossip Cop's newsletter:

Got tips? Email us: