Meghan Markle has come under fire yet again – this time, for using a fake British accent in her latest Archetypes podcast, which people have branded “artificial” and “pathetic” on social media. Yikes!
Meghan Markle Faces Criticism Over ‘Pathetic’ British Accent
For her latest Spotify podcast, which is the ninth one so far, the Duchess of Sussex, 41, interviewed British actress and activist Jameela Jamil, 36. And it was when the women greeted each other at the start of the podcast that the Duchess broke into her British accent.
"You alright, babe? Hello?" the Good Place actress said at the start of the show, to which the former Suits actress said, "Ello," in a British, bordering on cockney, accent. "Hello, my friend. How are you doing?" she added. And the internet predictably had a lot to say about it!
"Now making fun of the British accent? Please Meghan, just shut up," one Twitter user wrote. "Is Meghan trying to do a British accent again?" asked another, while another branded it, "Pathetic really." Another Twitter user blasted not only Meghan but also Jameela, writing: "They are both as 'artificial' as they come!" "Well at least she is proving what Americans already knew, she is a terrible actress," another user quipped. "She is sooooo fake!" exclaimed another.
Meghan's Previous Accent Criticism
This isn’t the first time the mom-of-two's accent has been discussed and criticized, as it was widely suggested that her California accent was becoming slightly more British when she and Prince Harry, 38, were living in the UK. "There does seem to be something in the idea that Meghan Markle's speech has changed a bit, at least in some settings," phonetics and pronunciation specialist Dr Geoff Lindsey told the BBC. "There are occasional vowels which sound a bit more British," Lindsey added.
"Meghan Markle’s got a case of the Madonna!" Perez Hilton wrote on Twitter back in 2018, alongside a clip of Meghan greeting fans. "She’s now speaking with a British accent! It happens! Have you heard Lindsay Lohan talk lately?" he added, in reference to the fact that Madonna has been known to break into a British accent, and Lindsay Lohan developing an interesting European accent when she was living in Greece and filming her reality show, Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club.
Meghan Markle’s got a case of the Madonna! She’s now speaking with a British accent! It happens! Have you heard Lindsay Lohan talk lately? pic.twitter.com/sexMnNlglc
— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) July 6, 2018
READ MORE: Meghan Markle Reportedly Has Had A 'Dramatic Change Of Heart' And Wants To Keep Her Royal Titles Now
Jameela Jamil Defends Meghan Markle
British accent aside, the women, who were also joined by fellow actress and activist Shohreh Aghdashloo, spoke about "unspoken annoyance" that surrounds women in activism, with Meghan claiming that she "couldn't quite wrap my head around it." This then led to the She Hulk star having what has been described as an X-rated rant about all the criticism and "demonization" Meghan has been facing over the years.
"It's just it's an unfathomable amount of [expletive] that you take Meghan, I can't believe it," Jameela confessed. "And I fought back on your behalf years before I'd ever met you because I was so outraged with the twisting of this, very normal, very kind, very civilized woman. That demonization just shows how afraid they are of you."
"It's an unfathomable amount of sh*t that you take, Meghan. I can't believe it," Jamil said. https://t.co/x1JG0wONtR
— POPSUGAR UK (@POPSUGARUK) November 16, 2022
"And I'm sure maybe you can't keep this in or whatever, but the treatment of you and I'm so sorry you've had to withstand it, it has re-highlighted for us the intense unkindness and bigotry and misogyny of our media," she continued. "I think and I hope and I feel faith that the tides are changing because so many of us are fighting back." Meghan then replied: "Thank you for fighting back."
Jameela later opened up about the moment Meghan reached out to her personally when she was going through "lonely and desperate moments," and thanked her for her support and loyalty. "You have been such a sobering voice of unwavering support to me," she added. "And people don't know that you frequently reach out to women who are having a very very hard time. You reach out to us. You don't do it publicly. You don't come to get any glory, but you privately reach out to us in our most lonely and desperate moments. And we need more of that in the world."
Backlash Over Previous Podcasts
As well as facing backlash for her British accent, the Duchess is also dealing with some controversy over one of her previous podcasts, as author Allison Yarrow has hinted that she never actually spoke to Meghan for the show, but rather, another member of the team. After Allison appeared on the To 'B' or not to 'B' episode, she shared a picture of herself on Instagram in front of a sign for audio production house Gimlet Media, and thanked a producer for being "an excellent interviewer," which hints that the Duchess wasn’t actually the one who interviewed her.
It seems like Meghan Markle isn't interviewing her guests on her podcast as Allison Yarrow implies that a producer was interviewing her.
Allison’s explanations and comments are apparently edited and interwoven between comments from Meghan... pic.twitter.com/5X0OOGe9MX — A. (@ExposingSMG) November 17, 2022
Allison wrote: "Excited to be included in the visionary series #Archetypes hosted by Meghan the Duchess of Sussex that aims to dissect and subvert the archetypes that hold women back. The first episode (out now, link in bio) features a timely interview with another legend @Serenawilliams. Cheers to producer @farrahsafari (an excellent interviewer) and the folks at @Gimlet @spotify who get it done!" Was this a subtle dig at the Duchess, or was it an innocent comment?
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