Meghan Markle recently opened up about the “bullying and abuse” she received while pregnant with both of her children. During an appearance at the 2024 South by Southwest festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, The Duchess of Sussex told an audience, “I keep my distance from (social media) right now just for my own wellbeing,” per CNN.
She then went on to explain, “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 added, “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.”
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Markle and her husband Prince Harry welcomed their first child — Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, a son — on May 6, 2019. In 2020, they stepped down as senior royals. The couple later welcomed daughter Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor on June 4, 2021.
CNN noted that, months before Archie’s birth, Kensington Palace and the British royal family royal urged social media users to show “courtesy, kindness and respect” when interacting with their online posts, due to abusive and cruel comments. Palace staff also became quite vigilant about combating rude comments and replies by blocking and deleting posts that were racist or sexist.
“In the digital space and in certain sectors of the media, we have forgotten about our humanity. And that has got to change,” Markle added in her statement at SXSW. “Because I understand there’s a bottom line, and I understand that a lot of money is being made there. But even if it’s making dollars, it doesn’t make sense.”
