Meghan Markle has been accused of bullying her staff on several occasions over the years, but she has also been on the receiving end of bullying herself, especially on social media.
According to reports, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, allegedly said that she was “one of the most bullied people in the world” during an open conversation with teenagers while visiting the nonprofit Girls Inc. in Santa Barbara, California on October 2nd. And that comment has unsurprisingly caused mixed reactions on social media, with some fans sympathizing with her, and others suggesting that the comments are hypocritical.
Meghan Markle Tells Teenagers That She Was 'One Of The Most Bullied People In The World'
FYI, Girls Inc. is a "preeminent girls' leadership organization equipping girls to reach their full potential," as per the official website. Meghan appeared at the October 2nd event to help the organization with its Social Media U digital wellness program, which has received financial backing from Prince Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation.
According to Archewell, Social Media U is an educational initiative that will "equip girls with the essential tools to thrive in the digital age while fostering healthier, more balanced relationships with technology."
During an interview with Vanity Fair, Larissa May, the co-founder of #HalfTheStory, an advocacy group that's working with Girls Inc., shared how Meghan spoke to children about her personal experiences with online bullying.
"We did an activity where we talked through a bunch of scenarios, and Meghan talked about being one of the most bullied people in the world," May said, adding: "We had girls wave these little emoji signs and talk about how each one of these scenarios would have impacted them emotionally."
"We really wanted to make sure that the teens at #HalfTheStory were able to give their input on the type of experience that we would create," she continued. "Ultimately, we thought the best way to do that was to create a space of vulnerability. With Stephanie [the CEO of Girls Inc.] and Meghan, we talked about what it really means to grow up in this digital age."
While Prince Harry or Meghan's people have yet to reference what Meghan allegedly said about being bullied, a source reportedly told the New York Post that she "talked about her experience with online bullying but never claimed she was the most bullied person in the world." Hmm...
Reactions To Meghan's Alleged Bullying Comment
Meghan's alleged comment about being bullied understandably divided the world. Speaking to GB News, journalist Neil Wallis said: "She's an appalling woman. The idea that you could sit there and say publicly 'I am one of the most bullied people in the world' to a bunch of 11-year-olds, I wonder what victims of domestic violence felt about that.'"
Other people took to social media to say that they thought her alleged comments were hypocritical given the bullying allegations she has faced over the years. "The Bully of Montecito is the last person in America who should be giving advice on combating bullying. Just ask her former staff," one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "She did all the bullying," concurred a second, as a third quipped: "She has nothing to teach but victimhood."
Another said: "This is exactly what people need to know, she has been part of bullying accusations from the palace and staff in America, 18 of them have signed documents, but she is going around telling children not to bully?? This is the lunatic taking over the asylum."
Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Speak About Bullying And The Dangers Of Social Media On 'CBS Sunday Morning'
The former Suits actress has opened up about the dangers of social media on several occasions this year, as she and Prince Harry launched their anti-bullying initiative (which was met with controversy at the time!) a few months ago.
The initiative, called 'The Parents Network,' aims to support parents whose children have been harmed or have died following online bullying, with Meghan telling CBS Sunday Morning back in August: "Our kids are young; they're three and five. They're amazing. But all you want to do as parents is protect them."
"And so, as we can see what's happening in the online space, we know that there's a lot of work to be done there, and we're just happy to be able to be a part of change for good," she added.
Meghan Markle Previously Opened Up About 'Catty And Cruel' Comments From Trolls When She Was Pregnant
The mom-of-two also went into more detail about the negative effects of social media during a keynote panel at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival on International Women's Day back in March.
Speaking about some of her own experiences with bullying, including how confused she was about the "catty and cruel" comments she faced when she was pregnant, the American Riviera Orchard founder said: "Even if it's making dollars, it doesn't make sense. The toxicity that comes at you, yes, social media is an environment that has a lot of that. I keep my distance from it."
She then mentioned how baffling she found it that some women are willing to share negative comments about other women with their friends. "What I find to be the most distributing is how much of the hate are women spewing that to other women. I can't make sense of that," she continued, adding: "Reading something terrible about a woman, why are you sharing it with your friends? That's the piece that's so lost right now. We've forgotten about our humanity."
