Last night, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey aired in the UK (and after pulling in 17 million viewers in the US the day before, we imagine the numbers to be equally impressive this side of the pond). At times, the conversation was hard to watch, with Meghan bravely speaking out about the racism she experienced from within the royal household and tabloid press.
The conversation also gave the Duchess of Sussex the chance to discuss how her mental health was impacted by royal life and tabloid criticism, and heartbreakingly, at one point during the 90 minute special, Meghan shares that she felt suicidal.
Meghan and Harry also used the interview as an opportunity to share with the world that they're expecting a baby girl sometime in "the summertime", who will be a younger sister to their one-year-old son Archie, who also made a brief appearance on the programme.
After the special aired, thousands of members of the general public took to social media to air their thoughts, as did a number of celebrities. Here, we've rounded up some of those responses:
Lily Allen
Singer Lily Allen compared Meghan's comments on attempting to seek help for her mental health via the HR department at the Palace (and being told 'no') to the music industry.
She also criticised presenter Piers Morgan, who has been unfortunately (but sadly not unexpectedly) vocal about the Sussexes, even accusing Meghan of falsifying her suicidal thoughts, writing, "Btw, the way Voldemorgan was going on about the betrayal this morning, I was expecting way more slagging off of 'the firm'. By far and away the press were the real villains and PM [Piers Morgan was] just trying to change the narrative/avoid any accountability, deflection as usual."
Everyone's clicking on...
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
As one third of the band Little Mix, Leigh-Anne has always been passionate about speaking out on causes close to her heart, including sharing her own experience of being "the Black girl" in the group and her support for the Black Lives Matter movement last year.
Now, she's uploaded a thoughtful and moving post on Meghan Markle on Instagram, writing, "When you become known to the public there is no safety net to protect you from what people can fire out and say about you. We witness this all the time, particularly concerning women and more to the core, women of colour. Meghan has been dragged from the start and we have all witnessed it. I praise her strength and determination for speaking out on her experiences showing the underlying racism lying within the royal establishment."
The singer also reflected on finding the courage to speak out in the past herself, "It was the best thing I ever did and I know there are women all around the world holding pain within, out of fear of not being heard and taken seriously. We owe it to each other as women to stand together and put a stop to gender inequality and race inequality."
Jameela Jamil
A long-term supporter of the couple, actress and self-love spokesperson Jameela Jamil has praised the Sussexes for speaking out and being a great example for anybody else feeling trapped in a situation that doesn't make them happy.
"I don’t know what the media expected from two people?" Jameela said during a recent interview with Cosmopolitan UK. "To just sit and tolerate that forever? I think they are an amazing example of self-love, self-preservation and family and I’m really happy that our generation has got that level of self-respect to look up to now. Like, you’re allowed to leave."
Serena Williams
A close friend of Meghan's, the tennis pro shared a passionate statement defending the Duchess: "Meghan Markle, my selfless friend, lives her life - and leads by example - with empathy and compassion. She teaches me every day what is means to be truly noble. Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she's experienced."
Serena captioned the post, "I am so proud of you for being so brave. I know it is never easy. You are strong - both you and Harry. I love you. I adore you. Your friend S."
Amanda Gorman
The National Youth Poet Laureate, who spoke so eloquently at Joe Biden's inauguration said on Twitter, "Meghan was the Crown's greatest opportunity for change, regeneration, and reconciliation in a new era. They didn't just maltreat her light – they missed out on it."
Malin Andersson
A vocal mental health activist, Love Island star Malin shared a powerful quote also posted by popular meme account, DJ Fat Tony, "‘Meghan’s not going to see you tweeting [that] you don’t believe she was suicidal - but your friends who have been suicidal will.’"
CBS Presents Oprah with Meghan and Harry is available on the ITV Hub, Courtesy of Harpo Productions/CBS.
Cosmopolitan UK's current issue is out now and you can SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
