Entertainment
What Suits stars have said about Meghan Markle’s Royal family row after Oprah Winfrey interview
Before Prince Harry got down on one knee, Megan Markle had a name for herself in her own right as an actress, most notably in the American drama Suits.
The show, which ran for nine seasons until 2019, followed college drop out Mike Ross (Patrick J Adams) who ends up working with high-flying New York lawyer Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht).
The Duchess of Sussex, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, played Mike’s love interest Rachel Zane.
Meghan quit Suits soon after her engagement to Prince Harry, and bowed out in a two-hour finale in season seven that saw Rachel and Mike tie the knot. Patrick also left the series at the same time as their characters moved away from New York.
The former actress recently sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey where she was joined by her husband to give insight into life as part of the British royal family and being in the spotlight.
Among the revelations Meghan shared with the talk show host was that there were ‘concerns’ about ‘how dark’ their first child Archie would be when he was born. Buckingham Palace responded by saying the issues of race were ‘concerning’.
She also opened up about feeling suicidal over the pressures of royal life, saying: ‘I just didn’t want to be alive any more’.
Since then her Suits co-stars, many of which were at Harry and Meghan’s wedding in May 2018, have recently spoken out in her defence.
What have Meghan Markle’s Suits co-stars said about the Royal Family row?
Patrick J Adams
Patrick was one of the first to speak up for his friend and former co-star, saying the royal family is
In a lengthy message posted on Twitter, he wrote: ‘Meghan Markle and I spent the better part of a decade working together on Suits. From day one she was an enthusiastic, kind, cooperative, giving, joyful and supportive member of our television family. She remained that person and colleague as fame, prestige and power accrued.
‘She has always been a powerful woman with a deep sense of morality and a fierce work ethic and has never been afraid to speak up, be heard and defend herself and those she holds dear. Like the rest of the world, I have watched her navigate the last few years in astonishment.
‘She fell in love, moved to a new country, became a household name across the entire globe and began the difficult work of trying to find her place in a family dynamic that can at best be described as complicated and at worst, seemingly archaic and toxic.
‘It sickened me to read the endless racist, slanderous, clickbaiting vitriol spewed in her direction from all manner of media across the UK and the world but I also knew that Meghan was stronger than people realised or understood and they would regret underestimating her.
‘And then they welcomed Archie. And on any sort of decent planet that would be a time to stop sharpening the knives and let these two people enjoy the magical early months and years of starting a family. But we don’t live on that planet and instead the hunt continued.’
Patrick, 39, added: ‘It’s OBSCENE that the Royal Family, who’s newest member is currently GROWING INSIDE OF HER, is promoting and amplifying accusations of “bullying” against a woman who herself was basically forced to flea the UK in order protect her family and her own mental health [sic].
‘IMO, this newest chapter and it’s timing is just another stunning example of the shamelessness of a institution that has outlived its relevance, is way overdrawn on credibility and apparently bankrupt of decency [sic].
‘Find someone else to admonish, berate and torment. My friend Meghan is way out of your league.’
Wendell Pierce
Wendell, who played Rachel’s father Robert Zane, took a different approach saying it was an ‘insensitive’ time to give the interview with the coronavirus pandemic still raging around the world.
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.’
The actor clarified that he was being critical of ‘everyone’ including the royal couple, host Oprah and the networks which aired the interview.
Wendell, who also starred in The Wire, feels that the Royal family shouldn’t get involved’ in this sort of conversation’ and ‘focus on the throes of death that we’re in’.
However he later clarified his comments after finding out they were ‘being used as an attack’.
‘Clarity: The British monarchy is archaic in my American eyes. If slavery, colonialism and apartheid didn’t educate you that they are racist, you failed history,’ he tweeted.
‘I was fortunate to tell Meghan personally I wish her all the best. Predicting this hellacious maelstrom I also told her she would always have a friend in me. Because I had no interest in the interview doesn’t change that.’
DB Woodside
The actor, who played Jeff Malone in Suits, sent a strong message to critics of his former co-star, warning Meghan is the ‘wrong woman to mess with’.
The Lucifer star is standing behind Meghan and has found the fallout from the Oprah interview ‘upsetting’.
‘And just to be direct, it’s bulls**t,’ he told Entertainment Tonight.
DB continued: It seems to me there are people who are setting her up to be the fall person. There’s people who are setting her up to blame her for something…
‘All I have to say is that she’s one of the most incredible human beings that I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.
‘I wish her nothing but the best. And I just hope people over in Britain, excuse my French, leave her the f**k alone.’
Adding that he believes Meghan will ‘bounce back’, he added: ‘If they think that this kind of stuff is going to knock her off her game for very long, they picked the wrong woman to mess with.
‘She is the wrong woman to mess with. They need to back up, back off, apologise because she’s not the one.’
Aaron Korsh
Suits creator and executive producer Aaron shared his thoughts on Twitter in the wake of ‘bullying’ allegations that were leveled against Meghan.
A spokesperson for Meghan and Harry said following the claims: ‘The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself.’
Buckingham Palace has since announced it would be launching a probe into the claims.
Giving his take on the situation, Aaron wrote: ‘Meghan Markle is not a monster. She’s a strong woman with a kind heart who’s trying to make her way in an unimaginable situation.
‘I don’t know the specifics of some incident from years ago but if late night emails makes you a horrible person, then I’m going to hell 50 times over.’
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