Meghan Markle has reportedly told a group of young girls that she was “one of the most bullied people in the world”, during a recent event as part of her and Prince Harry’s Archwell Foundation.
The Duchess of Sussex is said to have made the comments at the launch of a US-based digital wellness program funded by the foundation, which saw her join a group of tweens to discuss the impact of social media on young people.
The wellness program, Social Media U, is a joint philanthropic effort between Archwell and Pivot, an organization founded by Oprah Winfrey and Melinda Gates. Markle visited tweens in service of the foundation at an event in Santa Barbara, during which she hosted a “screen-free afternoon of games, friendship bracelets, coloring, and some frank talk about social media,” according to philanthropist and attendee Larissa May.
One of the activities involved the tweens “talking through a bunch of scenarios,” which is reportedly when Markle said she was one of the most bullied people in the world. “We thought the best way to do that was to create a space of vulnerability,” May said. “We talked about what it really means to grow up in this digital age.”
Part of this discussion saw Markle reflect on her own experiences of cyberbullying, particularly during both of her pregnancies but also throughout her entire stint in the public eye as part of the royal family. It’s not the first time the Duchess has reflected on the impact of social media on her life.
In March, Markle said at an event in Texas that you can’t “really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful,” saying that online abuse “is not catty, it is cruel.” You only need to look at the comments made by Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson to see just how much scrutiny has been placed on the Suits actress since joining the royal family, and both she and Harry have spearheaded efforts to address this kind of bullying.
Markle even claimed that bullying took place within the royal family itself during that bombshell interview with Oprah in 2021. Alongside Social Media U, the Archwell Foundation has also launched The Parents Network, which supports parents whose children have suffered or died due to online harms. Markle’s appearance at the anti-cyberbullying event comes amid multiple reports that the Duchess herself has been somewhat of a bully.
In 2018, the Sussexes’ then-press secretary complained about his concern “that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household,” and she has more recently been the subject of ghosting claims made by former friends. Then, a source close to the Sussexes’ told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month that “everyone is terrified” of Meghan, and described the actress-turned-royal as a “dictator in high heels.”
I’m guessing that choice of footwear makes it difficult for Markle to outrun this kind of negative press, but it seems the royal couple have been muffling out all the noise with a string of philanthropic events of late. Last month, Harry attended a childrens-based event in the UK (though his thunder was stolen by an adorable kid), before Markle turned heads with a stunning new look at the LA Children’s Hospital Gala earlier this month.
Published: Oct 15, 2024 03:58 am