‘I was abused while pregnant’: Meghan Markle’s new accusations

Meghan Markle says she now consciously distances herself from negative comments.

New Delhi:

Former British royal Meghan Markle spoke out on Friday against the “seemingly endless toxicity” prevalent on social media platforms. As the keynote speaker at a high-profile panel to mark International Women’s Day, Ms Markle shared her personal experience of facing “bullying and abuse” during her pregnancy with Archie and Lilibet.

Ms Markle expressed her concerns about the dehumanizing nature of online interactions. She said that in some areas of media and digital, people “forgot our humanity”.

“Most of the bullying and abuse I experienced on social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and Lily,” she says. “You just have to think about it and really think about why people are so hateful – it’s not cunning, it’s cruelty.”

The 42-year-old former actress revealed that she now consciously distances herself from these negative comments for the sake of her own health.

Prince Harry and Ms Markle have faced heightened scrutiny since stepping back from the royal family, making public appearances less frequently as they focus on philanthropy through the Archewell Foundation in California.

“If you’re reading something horrible about a woman, why would you share it with your friends?” she asked. “You wouldn’t do that if it was your friend, your mom or your daughter. I think that’s the part that’s lost in what’s going on in the digital space and in certain parts of the media right now – we’ve forgotten our Human nature, that has to change.”

During the panel discussion, Ms. Markle also recalled an experience from her childhood, when a letter she wrote when she was 11 years old led Procter & Gamble to change its sexist dishwashing liquid ads. To encourage advocacy and speaking out, she reminded viewers that “your voices are not small, they just need to be heard.”