Entertainment
Piers Morgan doubles down on doubt over Meghan Markle’s suicidal revelation: ‘If I’m wrong, it’s a scandal’
Piers Morgan admits he still has doubts over Meghan Markle’s account of her experiencing suicidal thoughts.
The Good Morning Britain presenter came under fire yesterday when he said he ‘doesn’t believe’ Meghan’s revelation that she considered taking her own life due to being subjected to racism and abuse two years ago.
Mental health charity Mind criticised Piers for publicly casting doubt on Meghan’s personal struggles and said they are ‘in conversations’ with ITV about his comments.
On Tuesday, Piers addressed the controversy but did not apologise and stated: ‘I still have serious concerns about the veracity of a lot of what she said. But let me just state for the record my position on mental illness and on suicide.
‘Mental illness and suicide, these are clearly very serious things and should be taken extremely seriously and if somebody is feeling that way they should get the treatment and help that they need every time and if they belong to an institution like the Royal family and they go and seek that help, they should absolutely be given it.
‘It’s not for me to question whether she felt suicidal, I wasn’t in her mind and that’s for her to say.’
Doubling down on his previous criticism, Piers explained: ‘My real concern was a disbelief frankly and I’m prepared to be proven wrong on this and if I’m wrong, it is a scandal, that she went to a senior member of the Royal household, told them she was suicidal and was told she could not have any help because it would be a bad look for the family.
‘If that was true, A: If they’re still there they should be fired; B: the Royal family has serious questions to be answered about how they handled it.
‘But I would also throw in the mix that Prince Harry himself belongs to the top of several mental health charities, it does raise a question to me, he’s sort of helped himself, why could he not in that eventuality have gone and gotten Meghan the help that she needed maybe via the charities that he represents.’
Dr Hilary Jones weighed in and urged people to take others’ mental health struggles seriously.
The GP explained: ‘Whether her criticisms are justified or not, it was real for her. She felt that she could not approach anybody in total confidence without the press getting hold of it and talk about the issues that were inside her heart. She didn’t feel she could do that.
‘Whether we believe her or not, it doesn’t matter, it was real for her. And to express the fact that she had suicidal thoughts and was prevented from getting help for that, it is extraordinary to hear that.’
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
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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’