Entertainment
The View’s Meghan McCain sympathizes Meghan Markle over leaks meant to ‘hurt reputation’: ‘I know what it feels like’
Meghan McCain and The View panel shared their shock over the bombshell allegations Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made about their struggle as royals in their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
In the explosive chat, which aired in the US on Sunday, the Duchess of Sussex revealed she considered taking her own life when she was pregnant with her son Archie due to attacks about her in the media.
As UK viewers wait to watch the interview tonight on ITV, panelist Meghan McCain revealed how she could relate with Markle following her struggle with ‘leaks’ to the media.
She stated: ‘One of the other points that I thought was particularly heartbreaking and poignant was her talking about how she wasn’t protected and that the leaks internally from Buckingham Palace that were used to specifically paint her out to be a villain and make her look bad.’
‘I want to say something, and I want this to be interpreted the right way: in no way am I comparing any of my life experience to Meghan Markle’s. She experienced something that had egregious racism and happened on a global stage, and she was a complete cultural paradigm shift for the U.K.’
The former Fox News personality then continued: ‘But I do know what it feels like to be on a TV show or a political campaign where people are leaking stories about you with the sole intention to make you look bad, and let me tell you, it’ll do a number on your mental health like you can’t believe.’
Speaking to Oprah, Markle had stated that the royal family – who she calls ‘the firm’ – were ‘perpetuating falsehoods about us’, and last week saw the duchess accused of bullying staff during her time at Kensington Palace just before a teaser clip of her claim was shown.
McCain – the daughter of late politician John McCain – went on to say that level of coverage does ‘make you feel isolated’, adding that there’s a ‘specific way that women are abused in the media’ while highlighting Markle and Britney Spears as notable examples.
She noted that she has ‘never been in a place where [she] contemplated suicide’ as she mused: ‘When you are in places — whether it be work or a family like the royal family — and you are not protected, and people are trafficking in gossip with the intention to make you look bad and hurt your reputation, I can see how they felt like there was no other option for them and their family to put them in a safe space.’
‘I think we need to reassess what is allowed in different places, and what is considered abuse,’ the conservative View host declared.
She explained: ‘I can see how they felt like there was no other option for them and their family to put them in a safe space specifically when she was pregnant and she had a new, young child.
‘I just hope it makes us reassess who we are, both globally and in America, about how we treat women that are on stages. And what is legally allowed when it comes to falsehoods and leaking. That’s what I thought yesterday.’
In the revelatory Oprah interview, Meghan also claimed a member of the family ‘raised concerns’ about ‘how dark’ her son Archie’s skin would be.
The Oprah interview, which originally aired on CBS, will be shown on ITV at 9pm tonight in the UK.
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MORE : The View stars slam royal’s ‘disgusting’ comments about Archie’s skin color: ‘Wrong on every level’
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Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview: Key moments
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have spoken to Oprah Winfrey in a bombshell interview about their decision to step back as senior working members of the Royal Family.
Here are the key points from the interview, which UK viewers can watch at 9pm on ITV on Monday, March 8.
- Meghan says it was Kate who made her cry over flower girls, not other way round
- Meghan says Harry was told there were ‘concerns how dark’ Archie would be
- Harry and Meghan reveal the gender of their baby due in summer
- Meghan sobs as she says pressures of royal life drove her to the verge of suicide
- Prince Charles stopped taking Harry’s calls after he quit Royal Family
- Harry says Meghan saved him from being ‘trapped’ like Prince Charles and Prince William are
- Princess Diana would be ‘sad and angry about how this has panned out’
- Meghan and Harry share adorable new video of son Archie at the beach
- Harry confirms terrible rift with William and says their relationship is now just ‘space’
- Queen ‘ghosted Harry during Megxit talks and got aide to say she was too busy’