Meghan Markle’s first interview since she and Prince Harry revealed their plans to leave the British royal family as senior members will not be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Despite a recent report from The Daily Mail, royal sources told Entertainment Tonight Markle has no immediate plans to appear on her friend’s show. DeGeneres and Markle have been friends for years, having met long before Markle married Prince Harry in May 2018.
Early Friday, sources told The Daily Mail Markle was planning to appear on DeGeneres’ show.
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“Ellen and Meghan have already discussed a sit-down interview. That has been in the works for quite some time now,” one source said. “[Meghan] said Ellen understands her pain and suffering. That she epitomizes authenticity. [Meghan] feels like they are kindred spirits.”
The source said the decision to speak with DeGeneres instead of Oprah Winfrey would be a disappointment to Winfrey.
“After all, Oprah wooed Meghan’s mother by having her spend the day in Montecito, wrangled an invite to the wedding and has been pretty vocal in her support of the couple’s decision to break away,” the source explained.
“Meghan adores Ellen and loves the fact that she and Portia are huge animal lovers,” the insider continued. “She said they have stayed in touch since meeting in person and have become close. She said they actually have a lot in common and that Ellen has been a huge support, especially since moving to Canada.”
However, a royal source told Entertainment Tonight the report is “categorically untrue.”
Markle and DeGeneres’ representatives did not comment.
Markle first opened up about meeting DeGeneres in a Best Health interview in May 2016. She said they met at a dog rescue shelter when DeGeneres and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, suddenly walked in. DeGeneres helped convince Markle to adopt her first dog, Bogart.
“Ellen goes, ‘Is that your dog?’” the future Duchess of Sussex said at the time. “And I said, ‘No,’ and she’s like, ‘You have to take that dog.’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m deciding.’ And she’s like, ‘Rescue the dog!’
“It’s sort of like if Oprah tells you to do something,” Markle continued. “I’m sitting there holding him and she’s like, ‘Have you thought of a name for him yet?’ And I said, ‘Well, I think I’d name him Bogart,’ and she’s like ‘You’re taking the dog home.’ And she walks outside to get into her car but instead of getting in she turns around and comes and taps on the window glass and she yells, ‘Take the dog!’ And so I brought him home. Because Ellen told me to.”
DeGeneres and de Rossi also went to London over the summer to meet Markle, Harry and their son Archie. In August, she took to Twitter to defend the royal couple.
“Portia and I met Prince Harry and Meghan in England to talk about their work on wildlife conservation,” DeGeneres tweeted. “They were the most down-to-earth, compassionate people. Imagine being attacked for everything you do, when all you’re trying to do is make the world better.”
DeGeneres also called the couple “so amazing” in a September episode.
“They’re the cutest couple and so down-to-earth,” DeGeneres said at the time. “I see them getting attacked and it’s not fair. They’re just two of the most down-to-earth, compassionate people. They’re doing so much good for the world.”
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