In rare TV interview, Markle talks about her pre-royal days
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, paid an unannounced visit to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” this week.
The former “Suits” star told host DeGeneres it was her first time back on a talk show in about a decade and reminisced about returning to the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank after visiting it several times for auditions as a young actress.
In a sneak peek released late Tuesday, the former British royal told a story about her days as a struggling artist who drove a Ford Explorer Sport — a car that was so old, she had to crawl through the trunk to get into the driver’s seat.
The reason for her appearance on the show isn’t mentioned in the teaser, but the spot comes off as orchestrated for those keeping up with the Sussexes. The last time Meghan did a major sit-down interview, it was with DeGeneres’ pal Oprah Winfrey in the spring and led to a reckoning that Buckingham Palace is still contending with today.
Meghan appeared on DeGeneres’ show to plug her children’s book, “The Bench,” the Los Angeles Times has confirmed.
Reps for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and the Sussexes did not immediately respond Wednesday to the L.A. Times’ request for comment.
The L.A.-bred star’s effort to increase her likability comes amid her more serious appearances devoted to advocacy for issues such as paid parental leave for all. But more importantly, it comes in the wake of a legal firestorm across the pond.
The mother of two appeared on DeGeneres’ farewell season, which is ending after allegations that the talk show host created a toxic work environment. Meghan has also weathered similar allegations, which came up again recently when her former communications secretary and royal aide, Jason Knauf, provided bombshell testimony during the appeals case stemming from hers and Prince Harry’s breach of privacy and copyright lawsuit.
Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of U.K.’s MailOnline and The Mail on Sunday, is trying to overturn a British court’s February decision that favored the former senior royals.