Celebs Who Dissed Meghan Markle
Since her entrance into the British royal family, Meghan Markle has undeniably become a polarizing figure. Her fairytale union with Prince Harry brought with it adoration and disdain from all around the world. Despite no longer technically being a royal, Markle still can't catch a break: her position as the prince's wife has left her vulnerable to constant scrutiny and impacted her mental health. While some appreciate her outspoken nature and advocacy for social issues, others criticize Markle for everything from her politics to her alleged breaches of royal protocol and her perceived sense of entitlement.
In a now infamous (and deleted) interview with Oprah Winfrey, the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed their reasons for leaving the U.K Monarchy. The comments made by Markle during this interview fueled hateful comments from many famous faces, such as Piers Morgan, Candace Owens, and Bethenny Frankel. Let's take a look at celebs who have dissed Meghan Markle.
Donald Trump
Former President Donald Trump and Meghan Markle have been beefing for years now. It should be no surprise: the two figures are equally as polarizing as they are influential. Trump, for his part, has publicly shared his opinion about Markle on numerous occasions. Trump has mainly fixated on Markle's relationship with Prince Harry, who he believes is "whipped" for his wife. According to CBS, Trump also believes that the late Queen Elizabeth II should've stripped the couple of their titles while she had the chance. "I won't use the full expression, but Harry is whipped like no person I think I've ever seen," Trump told Piers Morgan in their interview. "I'm not a fan of Meghan, I'm not a fan, and I wasn't right from the beginning. I think poor Harry is being led around by his nose."
This wasn't the first time Trump declared himself "not a fan" of the former Duchess. As reported by CBS, during a 2020 press conference, Trump was asked about the couple, who had just recently encouraged citizens to vote in the U.S. election. Even though the couple did not endorse a specific candidate, Trump declared: "I'm not a fan of hers, and I would say this — and she probably has heard that — but, I wish a lot of luck to Harry, because he's going to need it."
Candace Owens
Political commentator and conservative activist Candace Owens has a lot to say about, well, everything. Meghan Markle seems to be one of her favorite subjects, as she has been very critical of the former Duchess for years. Most notably, Owens was very harsh when it came to Prince Harry and Markle leaving the royal family. "Isolating an individual away from their family and friends, using suicide threats to get what you want — these are classic signs of an emotionally abusive relationship, but we are supposed to suspend rationality because 'racism,'" she tweeted. "Dear Harry: Meghan is not the victim. You are."
Owens has continuously expressed sympathy for Prince Harry, who she believes is being manipulated by Markle. "I feel extreme compassion for Harry who is with a woman that is so manipulative that she has convinced him that she is Princess Diana reincarnated," she tweeted after watching the first few episodes of the couples' Netflix docuseries, "Harry & Meghan" in which the prince spoke openly about learning about racism from his wife. Owens continued: "It is disturbing to watch this Freudian transfer. Meghan is using Harry's very real childhood trauma to mentally abuse him." In some of her tweets, Owens seems to imply that Markle is pushing the prince to have tough racial conversations. As a Black woman who is unabashedly opposed to the Black Lives Matter movement, Owens isn't a fan. Additionally, when speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News, Owens revealed that she just doesn't think Markle is "black" enough to be having the racism conversation.
Katie Hopkins
Through the years, British media personality and commentator Katie Hopkins has made countless distasteful comments about Meghan Markle. In fact, Hopkins' comments were so awful that she was permanently banned from X, formerly known as Twitter, for "hateful conduct" (via The Guardian). It's no wonder she calls herself "the biggest b**** in Britain" (via The Mirror). Not only is Hopkins universally seen as a bully, but above all, she has faced countless accusations of racism. Time and time again, Hopkins has found pleasure in ridiculing the former Duchess, even going so far as to dress up as Markle to mock her on her YouTube channel.
In one instance of harassment, Hopkins used her "60 Minutes" program to come for everything about Markle — from her style to her beauty and morals. "There she is in her one-shoulder dress, being glowing," the commentator said sarcastically. "Because all she does is glow. Abdicate. Off you go." She also called the former Duchess of Sussex "The biggest hypocrite there is." It's unclear why, but Hopkins might just be Markle's No. 1 hater. When a passerby defended Markle in the same episode, Hopkins snarkily replied: "But then there's nothing right with her either." Additionally, per Chronicle Live, Hopkins believes that Markle is "desperate" for fame. "This is classic Meghan Markle and something that many of us said would happen all along ... This woman has always been absolutely desperate to be a celebrity."
Piers Morgan
Of all the celebrities on this list, Piers Morgan might be the one with the biggest vendetta against Meghan Markle, which explains how he's always somehow present to witness the Markle shade. Apparently, the beef between Markle and Morgan started years ago. Though they were initially chummy, things quickly turned sour between the two. Morgan was originally a fan of Markle's and sang high praises for her in a 2016 Daily Mail exclusive, calling her "perfect princess material." Things took a turn for the worst when, allegedly, Markle rejected Morgan's "platonic" advances by ghosting him in 2017. (via Daily Mail). Despite playing it cool in his piece about the encounter, clearly, Morgan has never gotten over it. Since then, he's seemingly made it his duty to bash Markle at every chance he can get.
Most notably, after Markle and Prince Harry's explosive Oprah interview, Morgan was skeptical of Markle's mental health struggles. "I'm sorry, I don't believe a word she said, Meghan Markle," he said on "Good Morning Britain," per Page Six. "I wouldn't believe it if she read me a weather report." His comments were certainly not taken well, with many criticizing Morgan for invalidating mental illness. The next day, he doubled down on his sentiments but clarified that he recognizes how serious mental illness can be. Following the incident, the heads of ITV invited Morgan to resign, according to Variety.
Chris Rock
Comedian and actor Chris Rock is never one to hold his tongue. Throughout his decades-long comedy career, absolutely no one has been off limits, and that includes the former Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. The "Madagascar" actor, like many others on this list, watched the Oprah interview in which Markle revealed that several members of the royal family "expressed concerns" about the potential skin tone of her then-unborn child, Archie. This statement understandably shook newsstands worldwide, and Rock took to his live stand-up comedy Netflix special, "Chris Rock: Selective Outrage," to share his opinion about it.
"That's not racist because even Black people want to know how brown the baby going to be," Rock joked (via Insider). "Everybody trying to be a victim," he continued, adding: "Meghan Markle, seems like a nice lady, just complaining. I was like 'Didn't she hit the light-skin lottery?"' Rock finished his mockery by declaring that Markle should've known what she was getting herself into. After all, she married into the family he calls the "OGs of racism" (per Page Six). As if this wasn't hurtful enough, a close friend of Markle's, Janina Gavankar, was backstage at the live taping of the special and was caught laughing amid the shade.
Simi Garewal
Talk show host and actress Simi Garewal also had some words to say about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey. Garewal took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share her distaste with Markle specifically, calling the former Duchess "evil." "I don't believe a word Meghan says. Not a word. She is lying to make herself a victim. She is using the race card to gain sympathy. Evil." Garewal eventually took back that last part, stating: "I withdraw the word 'evil.' It was excessive. Calculating would have been more appropriate ..." (via X)
However, Garewal stood firm on her general dislike of the former Duchess of Sussex. When an X user pointed out that Garewal has no proof that Markle is lying, the host replied, per X, that she has no respect for "women who come in and break up homes," and attached a Daily Mail featuring two side-by-side images: one of Markle as a young girl in front of the Buckingham Palace, and one of present-day Markle with her Prince. The images suggest that Markle planned to marry into the Royal family all along and that she knew what she was getting herself into.
Lord Alan Sugar
British media personality Lord Alan Sugar can't seem to make up his mind about Meghan Markle. Despite defending the former Duchess against Piers Morgan in the past, Sugar still isn't Markle's biggest fan. In the one-off incident, Morgan called Markle and Prince Harry "scheming Kardasian-wannabes" and said they ought to be stripped of their titles (via The Guardian). This was, of course, before Markle and Prince Harry chose to leave the monarchy on their own. "Why don't you come clean @piersmorgan. Tell your followers what you have against Meghan," Sugar tweeted in response. "Fact is she blew you out. You groveled to take her to your pub once and since then she has not answered your groveling calls."
Yet, it seems like the two presenters are riding the same hate train for Markle. When Morgan called Markle out for her alleged feigned mental health issues, Sugar was quick to agree, both on X and in an interview with GB News. In his harsh criticism, Sugar argued that due to her royal status, Markle could have had access to the best mental health care — had she sought it. What's more, Sugar believes that the whole affair could have been dealt with privately. "If she had something wrong with her, I'm absolutely sure that a psychiatrist or psychotherapist or whatever could have come and visited, and no one would need to know," he told GB News (via the Independent). "For that reason, and that reason alone, I don't believe her."
Megyn Kelly
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah ruffled quite a few feathers. Megyn Kelly, one of Markle's biggest haters, of course was no exception. Never one to hold her tongue on matters regarding the Duchess, Kelly took to X shortly after the interview to share her thoughts on their struggles. She wrote: "M & H pretend that no royal has had it worse in the press than they have. Give me a break. Have you ever seen such privileged people wallowing in their own (perceived) victimhood like this?"
Kelly didn't stop there. On the "Good Morning Britain" show in 2021, Kelly didn't hold back on her lack of sympathy for the couple. The reporter says that despite initially "rooting" for Markle, she was baffled that the former Duchess was "completely unaware" of how her confessions to Oprah would be perceived by viewers. In her lengthy commentary, Kelly also noted that the infamous interview was "peppered with compliments of herself while she was making these complaints that will be totally unrelatable to 99% of people." Piers Morgan, who was hosting the interview, agreed with Kelly. As noted, this is just one of many times that Kelly has come for Markle. In the past, Kelly has also criticized the former Duchess for being "lazy" and unwilling to fulfill her royal duties on "The Megyn Kelly Show" (via Sky News Australia).
Bethenny Frankel
The Real Housewives of NYC star Bethenny Frankel just doesn't "get" Meghan Markle. In a bizarre 2023 TikTok post, Frankel went on a rant about how she finds Prince Harry and Markle's life to be a "fascinating" but "botched job." Frankel also says the couple went from "hero to zero," adding, "I can't imagine having so much at your fingertips and letting it all slip away because of living inside your own head." The reality star also criticized the pair for being arrogant, stating: "And thinking every single thing that you do and say and want is so fascinating that you should be accepting awards at podiums around the world. Why?" All in all, it seems like Frankel just really wants Markle to get off her high horse. "You're a relatively successful actress, okay? You're not Mahatma Gandhi," she said.
This wouldn't be the last time Frankel would share her opinion on the formerly royal couple. In March 2021, Frankel expressed her distaste for Markle while responding to an X user's suggestion that the Duchess faced unjust treatment from both the palace and the press. "Cry me a river," Frankel tweeted. Eventually, Frankel would apologize for her comments, citing her outspoken nature as her defense. "Emotional distress & racism must feel suffocating & powerless," Frankel tweeted shortly after. "I'm a polarizing, unfiltered (often to a fault) flawed person [with] a voice. When I heard of the interview, during a pandemic, it felt like a surprising choice. I'm sorry if it hurt or offended you."
Wendy Williams
Throwing shade is what Wendy Williams does best. In fact, throughout the run of her beloved self-titled talk show, the comedian prided herself on always covering the latest hot topics and spilling the tea, and Meghan Markle is no exception to the shade. On several occasions, Williams has made her opinion of Markle and her life choices clear. In one odd instance, Williams publicly sided with Markle's estranged father. This was back in 2019 when the former Duchess had decided to permanently cut him off from seeing her children. According to The Mirror, Williams told her viewers that Meghan will "regret" this decision should anything happen to her father.
What's more, Williams had no sympathy for Markle when it came to her royal trials. In 2019, Markle gave a candid interview for her ITV documentary in which she discussed postpartum and her treatment by the media. "Meghan Markle, nobody feels sorry for you, you knew what you were signing up for, girl," Williams said on her show, (via ET). "I like them. I really do like them. But her ... There's something about her," Williams sneered. A year later, Williams also told ET in an interview that she believed Prince Harry and Markle were headed toward divorce. "Confidentially speaking, I think they'll be divorced within three years."
Kelly Rowland
Of all the shady celebrities on this list, Kelly Rowland seems a little out of place. Well, that's because Miss Rowland only accidentally shaded Meghan Markle in a hilarious misunderstanding. In October 2023, Rowland told Hello! Magazine that she had the pleasure of meeting Markle for the "first time" on September 4 at Beyoncé's Renaissance tour concert in Los Angeles. "It was my first time meeting her," Rowland gushed. "I don't know what people expect to see or to know, but she just felt very cool and very down to earth. She is very warm."
But alas, it seems like the two had already met before. According to a now-deleted post from Markle's old lifestyle blog, The Tig, the pair had met once before in 2014. Markle and Rowland took a photo together during New York Fashion Week of that year with stylist Joe Zee, as reported by the New York Post. Awkward ... but all in all, it seems like it was an honest mistake. In her Hello! Magazine chat, Rowland sang high praises for Markle, who she says, "was royal before she was in that family."
Howard Stern
Last but not least, we have Howard Stern. Like many others on this list, the radio host "doesn't get" the former Duke and Duchess. Never one to hold his tongue, Stern had a few things to say about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Netflix docuseries, "Harry & Meghan." The outspoken radio host took to his Sirius XM show to share his unsavory thoughts. "They come off like such whiny b****es," the radio host said. Stern, like others on this list, believes that Markle is just after fame. "She [Markle] wants to be beloved in this country" (via Page Six).
Stern went on to slam the couple for their seemingly attention-seeking behavior despite claiming to want privacy. "It's just weird to see two people who keep screaming, 'We wanted our privacy, we wanted the press to leave us alone,' and then what is their special that they put out on Netflix? Showing you them and their kids and their life. It's like the Kardashians except boring." Stern also felt the need to predict the outcome of Markle and the Prince's marriage. "I think he's eventually not gonna dig her. I'm telling you."