Meghan Markle Opens About Facing ‘Cruel’ Bullying & Abuse During Pregnancies

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about her experience with online bullying and abuse during her pregnancies.

In Austin, Texas, at an event for the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, Markle stated she was taking a step away from social media for “[her] own wellbeing.”

Markle, originally an actress, married into the British royal family in 2018 through her husband Prince Harry. Following their marriage, Markle faced online abuse, including racist insults towards her ethnic background and previous career as an actress.

Markle claimed the height of the abuse came during her two pregnancies. Markle first gave birth to son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in 2019, followed by Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor in 2021.

“The bulk of the bullying and abuse that I was experiencing in social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and with Lili, and with a newborn,” Markle said. “And you just think about that and you have to really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful. It’s not catty. It’s cruel.”

In 2019, the British royal family attempted to combat online abuse toward Markle and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge by telling users to show “courtesy, kindness and respect.”

After Markle’s pregnancies, she continued to face harassment. In 2022, ITV host Jeremy Clarkson wrote an op-ed for The Sun about Markle in which he said he was, “dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets.”