Meghan Markle's Ex-Staff Reportedly Aren't Backing Down From Bullying Claims
Meghan Markle can't seem to catch a break from the press, but this time, the spotlight is on her former staff. When the "Suits" actor was a working royal, accusations against her caused a media frenzy.
In 2021, the Times of London (via Page Six) reported that the Duchess of Sussex would reprimand staff, leaving them in tears. According to the outlet, the bullying led two senior members of the Kensington Palace staff to quit their jobs. In 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan's communications assistant, Jason Knauf, filed a complaint about these claims. The HR statement said, "I am very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of X* was totally unacceptable." Knauf added, "She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behavior towards Y." As a result, the Palace decided to examine these claims, but not reveal the findings publicly.
According to People, improvements were then made for royal employees. Said changes included urging staff to come forward with concerns about any "inappropriate" behavior in the workplace. Despite these shifts, however, those who were reportedly bullied by Meghan are insistent that they were not treated kindly.
A former palace employee wanted to be freed from non-disclosure agreements
Meghan Markle's former palace aides are standing by their bullying accusations. Valentine Low, a royal author, recently told Page Six, "I can't speak to the truth of that, of course, because I wasn't in the room and I haven't heard Meghan's side. But my sources still very much stick to their story." Prior to the release of "Harry & Meghan," one staff member begged the palace to let them out of non-disclosure agreements so they could counter "attacks" from the couple, per the Daily Mail. The individual told The Times (via the Daily Mail), "The only way to end it once for good is for us to be allowed to speak, and for the palace to firmly reject their lies." They added, "We need to feel we are equally supported by the Royal Family."
Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan have denied any wrongdoing. In Harry's new memoir "Spare," (via Page Six), Harry wrote that his wife was a caring boss who "checked on staff who were ill, sent baskets of food or flowers or goodies to anyone struggling, depressed, off sick." In November 2022, Meghan's lawyer, Jenny Afia, called the bullying claims untrue in the BBC's documentary "The Princes and the Press" (via People).