Mental health charity Mind calls out Piers Morgan for questioning Meghan Markle’s suicidal revelation: ‘We’re disappointed’

Mental health charity Mind has called out Piers Morgan for questioning Meghan Markle, after she revealed she has previously felt suicidal.

Meghan addressed her mental health struggle during a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired on CBS over in the US on Sunday night and in the UK on ITV on Monday.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sat down with Oprah for a two-hour long interview, discussing their move to America and why they chose to leave the Royal family.

In the interview, Meghan explained that she considered taking her own life as the abuse she was subjected to after joining the Royal family began to take its toll.

Piers was seen reacting to the interview on Good Morning Britain the morning after it aired and said he was ‘sickened’ by what he had watched.

Questioning Meghan, he said: ‘Who did you go to? What did they say to you? I’m sorry, I don’t believe a word she said, Meghan Markle. I wouldn’t believe it if she read me weather report. The fact that she’s fired up this onslaught against our Royal family I think is contemptible.’

pic.twitter.com/nUGiS1jR20

— Mind (@MindCharity) March 8, 2021

His co-host Susanna Reid fired back: ‘Well, that’s a pathetic reaction to someone who has expressed those thoughts.’

Royal expert Chris Ship also defended Meghan, adding: ‘Someone saying they had suicidal thoughts, I don’t think you can say that she was lying at that point. She had these thoughts, petty serious ones and took them to HR.’

Mind – a charity that supports those struggling with their mental health – has now reacted to the comments made and in a statement, the organisation says it has been left ‘disappointed’ by Piers’ reaction.

The statement read: ‘We were disappointed and concerned to see Piers Morgan’s comments on not believing Meghan’s experiences about suicidal thoughts today.

‘It’s vital that when people reach out for support or share their experiences of ill mental health that they are treated with dignity, respect and empathy.’

It continued: ‘We are in conversations with ITV about this at the moment. If you or anyone you know is feeling impacted by the discussions that have taken place today, please reach out for support using the signposts in the thread below.’

ITV, which runs a nationwide mental wellness campaign titled Britain Get Talking, faced backlash from viewers following Piers’ comments.

‘Piers morgan saying “i don’t believe her” about meghan markle claiming she felt suicidal is such a dangerous message to put out there on LIVE NATIONAL TV (sic),’ tweeted one viewer.

Another posted: ‘ITV, what about your “britain get talking” campaign? how are you letting this man say stuff like this and get away with it?’

Piers responded to the backlash by tweeting: ‘Lots of people on here want me fired for expressing my opinion on the Pinocchio Princess. If you want to join them, there are various petitions still doing the rounds from the last few times you’ve all tried, and failed, to have me fired for saying what I think.’

He added in a later tweet: ‘I just don’t believe that anyone at the Palace would have refused to help her if she told them she felt suicidal. As with her racism claims, if this happened we need names or everyone there gets smeared with the same terrible charge.’

No, I just don’t believe that anyone at the Palace would have refused to help her if she told them she felt suicidal. As with her racism claims, if this happened we need names or everyone there gets smeared with the same terrible charge. https://t.co/HRqG4VV8Mf

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 8, 2021

During her interview with Oprah, Meghan recalled attending an event with Prince Harry at the Royal Albert Hall and said that looking back, she is haunted by the pictures of the pair arriving to the London venue.

‘We had to go to this event after I told Harry I didn’t want to be alive any more. In the pictures, I see how tightly his knuckles are gripped around mine,’ she told Oprah.

‘We are smiling, doing our job. In the Royal Box, when the lights went off, I was just weeping. I was really ashamed to have to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry especially, but I knew that if I didn’t say that I would do it… I just didn’t want to be alive any more.’

Holly Willoughby was later seen defending Meghan over her comments about her mental health on This Morning.

Guest Julia Hartley-Brewer had criticised Meghan and Harry, stating live on air: ‘I do think multi-millionaires sitting with a billionaire in their multi-million pound mansion complaining about how terrible their life is is tone deaf. In this day and age when so many people are struggling.’

Holly hit back: ‘Mental health doesn’t discriminate on how wealthy you are. Haven’t we got past that thought process by now?’

Metro.co.uk has reached out to Piers Morgan’s rep and a spokesperson for ITV.

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