Ahead of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s tell-all interview with Oprah, Buckingham Palace has announced it is investigating accusations that Markle bullied several royal aides in 2018. But Markle’s fans are firing back, with many calling out racism as the reason behind the accusations.
“Keep Meghan Markle’s name out of your goddamn mouth. You are racist,” Kamala Harris’ cousin, Meena Harris, tweeted angrily.
“You’d think Meghan Markle was pure evil with the way she is treated by the press & certain so called ‘journalists.’ It’s pure character assassination due to her colour & the fact she isn’t afraid to stand up for herself. She also has Harry supporting her & they all hate to see it,” tweeted British fashion designer and illustrator Hayden Williams.
The report was initially published by the Times of London, citing complaints that Markle “drove out two personal assistants from Kensington Palace” due to how she managed them. Meanwhile, in a preview of her interview with Oprah, Markle said the royal family is “perpetuating falsehoods” about her.
NBC News obtained a statement from a Sussex rep for the couple, which said “let’s just call this what it is–a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation. We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of the Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet. It’s no coincidence that distorted several-year-old accusations aimed at undermining the duchess are being briefed to the British media shortly before she and the duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years.”
“Lissen, every Black woman has been in a situation where a white person (usually a woman) has accused her of being aggressive simply for stating an opinion that doesn’t center the white person’s feelings. I give no credence to reports of Meghan Markle being a bully. Not an ounce,” proclaimed writer Alex Brown.
See more reactions below.
https://twitter.com/meenaharris/status/1367174495648161792
I have known Meghan for 17 years.
Here’s what she is: kind, strong, open. Here’s what she’s not: “a bully”.
ANY of us who know her, feel the same thing from her broken silence: Relief.
The truth shall set you free.— janina gavankar (@Janina) March 4, 2021
You’d think Meghan Markle was pure evil with the way she is treated by the press & certain so called “journalists”. It’s pure character assassination due to her colour & the fact she isn’t afraid to stand up for herself. She also has Harry supporting her & they all hate to see it
— Hayden Williams (@Hayden_Williams) March 3, 2021
How the British press come up with Meghan Markle headlines 🥴🗞#meghanmarkle pic.twitter.com/ksy7qb0lHa
— Munya Chawawa (@munyachawawa) March 3, 2021
https://twitter.com/QueenOfRats/status/1367164540274675713
Very cool that on the eve of Meghan Markle speaking out about the British press drumming up vicious, racist lies, the British press is coming out with a vicious, racist lie!
— Bess Kalb (@bessbell) March 3, 2021
This Meghan Markle press dump ahead of the Harry and Meghan Oprah interview is so painfully and comically calculated I'd swear Malcolm Tucker is behind it. pic.twitter.com/vntXJGR8LK
— 🍅Jacqueline🍅 (@THATJacqueline) March 3, 2021
5 White Men discussing how Meghan Markle killed Khashoggi with her ear rings, bullied people like the Home Secretary, & has scared the living daylights out of the establishment without having said anything, yet
Misogyny & Racism is a toxic mix pic.twitter.com/GsBwdIBLH8
— nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) March 3, 2021
Meghan Markle's neighbours in Canada: She's the nicest!
Meghan Markle's co-workers: We love her! She so kind!
Meghan Markle's friends: She's the best. She's so supportive and sweet!
You racist palace aides and reporters: She's so mean! She won't let us bully her in peace!!!
— σηє уєαя яєνιєω му αѕѕ! 🤣 (@gordon_izabella) March 3, 2021
Meghan Markle has those royals acting totally different over there. Hope she airs them all out in that interview
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 3, 2021
The character assassination of Meghan Markle by the press is insane and so blatant! Yet Prince Andrew is out here…. let me not even start
— TROY the MAGICIAN (@TROYmagician) March 3, 2021
Yeeeeaaahhh, I don't trust a goddamn thing Buckingham Palace or their staff have to say about Meghan Markle. I feel like I've seen this season of "The Crown" already.
— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) March 3, 2021
Meghan Markle gets a " full investigation" for an allegation of bullying, while Prince Andrew is running around raping minors. Nothing racist or misogynistic happening here at all. Nope, not at all.
— Joshua Gale (@joshuagale75) March 4, 2021
Buckingham Palace would like you to know that Meghan Markle was very, very rude to a couple of people and we’re investigating that and if she ever says we were very rude or racist toward her then that’s just because we said it about her first so don’t believe her.
— Touré (@Toure) March 3, 2021
Meghan Markle and Harry are really just shaking the table, freeing themselves from toxicity and it's pleasing me and my homegirls.
— Denai Moore (@DenaiMoore) March 3, 2021
This obsession with Meghan Markle is a sickness. The overdrive of attention is not normal.
I once wrote a story about the Palace for work and they were in touch within a couple of hours asking for a correction. They could step in and they are choosing not too. Disgraceful.
— Genelle Aldred (@genellealdred) March 3, 2021