Entertainment
Meghan Markle’s former Suits co-star Wendell Pierce slams Oprah Winfrey interview as ‘insensitive’ during pandemic
Meghan Markle’s former Suits co-star Wendell Pierce has criticised hers and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, branding it ‘insensitive’ amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sat down for an explosive interview with the US talk show host last weekend to detail why they quit as senior members of the Royal family.
During the two-hour long chat, Meghan claimed a Royal expressed ‘concerns’ over ‘how dark’ her son Archie’s skin tone would be, while also revealing she considered suicide at the height of racist abuse.
However, Wendell – who played Meghan’s on-screen dad in Suits – believes it was completely the wrong timing to come forward with the bombshell revelations.
Speaking on LBC on Tuesday, the actor said: ‘Today 3,000 people are going to die in America from Covid… a couple of hundred people are going to die, even this hour, in the UK.’
The 57-year-old then quoted Shakespeare and said the interview was ‘full of sound and fury signifying nothing’.
He added: ‘It was quite insensitive and offensive that we are all complicit in this sort of palace… gossip in the midst of so much death. I think it is insignificant.’
Wendell then clarified that he was criticising ‘everyone’ including Meghan and Harry, Oprah and the TV networks which aired the interview.
The Wire actor believes the Queen and rest of the Royal family shouldn’t get involved ‘in this sort of conversation’ and instead ‘focus on the throes of death that we’re in’.
Recalling his time working with Meghan and whether race ever formed a part of their conversation off-screen, Wendell said: ‘We didn’t have long discussions about it, besides what was in the script and what was happening in our personal lives.’
Wendell played Robert Zane, father of Meghan’s character Rachel Zane, in 36 episodes of the hit legal drama.
His reaction to the interview couldn’t be more of a contrast to his fellow Suits alum Patrick J Adams, who launched an impassioned statement of support for Meghan and branded the Royal family as ‘obscene’.
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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’
