Just over a year ago, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they were stepping away from the royal family:
It's no secret to anyone who reads that Meghan has been fighting an uphill battle since going public with her relationship with Prince Harry, a battle that's had a negative impact on her mental health.
So when news dropped of Meghan and Harry giving a sit-down, no-holds-barred interview with Oprah Winfrey, the whole nation marked its collective calendars for this event:
Oprah’s interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry is about to be the TV event of the year
However, days before their interview, the Crown alleged that Meghan bullied several members of her staff and left them "shaking with fear."
Meghan and her team rebutted those unconfirmed and uncorroborated accusations in a statement:
The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma.
Celebrities, friends, and fans have come out to support Meghan against these pointed and ill-timed accusations, stating that her character is nothing like what is being described:
This is Meg. A real person- not a cover story. She is one of my very nearest and dearest. Like all her friends I love her madly. She is the friend who insists on always hearing the details of your life, your day, your kids life, your kids day, before hers. Always before hers.
One of the latest people to come out in support of Meghan is Patrick J. Adams, who used to star alongside her in the hit law drama Suits:
Very rarely am I moved by a white man's words, but these brought tears to my eyes:
She has always been a powerful woman with a deep sense of morality and a fierce work ethic and has never been afraid to speak up, be heard and defend herself and those she holds dear. Like the rest of the world, I have watched her navigate the last few years in astonishment.
"It sickened me to read the endless racist, slanderous, clickbaiting vitriol spewed in her direction from all manner of media across the UK," he continued in his impassioned thread:
It sickened me to read the endless racist, slanderous, clickbaiting vitriol spewed in her direction from all manner of media across the UK and the world but I also knew that Meghan was stronger than people realized or understood and they would regret underestimating her.
The sentiment he expressed really struck a chord with me:
And then they welcomed Archie. And on any sort of decent planet that would be a time to stop sharpening the knives and let these two people enjoy the magical early months and years of starting a family. But we don’t live on that planet and instead the hunt continued. It’s OBSCENE that the Royal Family, [whose] newest member is currently GROWING INSIDE OF HER, is promoting and amplifying accusations of “bullying” against a woman who herself was basically forced to [flee] the UK in order [to] protect her family and her own mental health.
HE SAID WHAT HE SAID:
IMO, this newest chapter and it’s timing is just another stunning example of the shamelessness of a institution that has outlived its relevance, is way overdrawn on credibility and apparently bankrupt of decency.
And that's on periodt:
Find someone else to admonish, berate and torment. My friend Meghan is way out of your league.
"Find someone else to admonish, berate and torment. My friend Meghan is way out of your league," Patrick concluded.
As a longtime fan of Meghan's — both professionally as an actor and personally as a human being — I have to say that the treatment she's receiving is hurting every aspect of my soul. The only shining light is that hopefully the messages of love and support for her are brighter than the pathetic comments of hate.
