Sympathy pours in after Markle admits ‘struggle’
Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, may still be battling a hostile U.K. tabloid media that sometimes think they are full of themselves.
But the American-born former TV actress had people on Twitter rushing to proclaim their admiration and sympathy with the #WeLoveMeghan hashtag.
This Twitter love came after Markle acknowledged in a British TV interview that it has been “a struggle” to be in the intense spotlight as she has adjusted to being a new wife, mother and member of the royal family. In the ITV documentary “Harry & Meghan: An African Journey,” Meghan addressed the negative attention she had received from the media during her pregnancy and first months with son Archie, who was born May 6.
“Any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging,” said Markle, 38. “And then when you have a newborn, you know. And especially as a woman, it’s a lot. So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed. It’s um … Thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m OK, but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.”
When the reporter, Tom Bradby, asked Markle if it “would be fair” to say that she’s “not really OK, as in it’s really been a struggle?” Markle replied, “Yes.” Among those rushing to proclaim their support for the Duchess of Sussex were other high-profile American women who have at times faced hostile media and public shaming. They include U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Monica Lewinsky.
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that “sudden prominence is a very dehumanizing experience,” to which Lewinsky retweeted “@AOC is 1000% right.”
By mid-Friday afternoon, #WeLoveYouMeghan was the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter.
The fan twitter account Duchess Meghan Forums argued that Markle, who is biracial, has been the target of racist coverage from the right-wing British media. Most egregiously, the account tweeted, certain tabloids have given a platform for her estranged father, Thomas Markle, and siblings, Samantha and Thomas Markle Jr., to regularly criticize her in interviews.