'The Character Assassination Is Insane': Fans Rally Around Meghan Markle After She Is Accused Of Bullying Palace Staffers
March 3 2021, Updated 2:45 p.m. ET
It’s safe to say Meghan Markle is having a rough time lately. The 39-year-old will appear alongside her husband, Prince Harry, in a TV special on March 7, but she was recently accused of bullying former staff members when she lived at Kensington Palace.
Now, fans — and some celebs! — are rallying around the former actress.
“Do y’all find yourselves getting mad as HELL every time they talk sideways about the Duchess Meghan?” Chance the Rapper wrote.
“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,” another person pointed out, referring to how Prince Andrew stepped down after his association with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
A third user added: "We're getting to the point where if Meghan Markle were to take a posy offered to her, the press would report it as: ‘Evil Duchess steals flowers from child,’” while a fourth person fumed: “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.”
On Tuesday, March 2, former staff members told The Times about Meghan's time at Kensington Palace — just days before her interview with Oprah Winfrey will air on CBS.
“The complaint claimed that she drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member,” the outlet reported.
Two senior members of staff claimed they were bullied by the 39-year-old, while a former employee said they were “humiliated” by her.
However, Meghan’s team denied the questionable behavior. “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,” a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said.
The statement continued: “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. She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.”
One day later, Buckingham Palace chimed in with a statement of their own.
"We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex," they said in a statement, which was obtained by The Royal Observer. "Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article."
The statement continued: "Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned. The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy in place for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace."
