[LifeStyle] ‘It was unsurvivable’: Meghan Markle on being the most-trolled person in 2019

[The GodFather]

 

Meghan Markle is not new to excessive criticism and scrutiny, but this is the first time she has openly talked about how she felt when she learnt that she was the ‘most trolled person in the world’, in 2019.

 

In a new podcast that was recorded on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the Duchess of Sussex — who was joined by her husband Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex — spoke about mental health, about dealing with unfamiliar territories, the importance of breathing, the COVID-19 pandemic, among other things. The couple was joined by three Californian high school students on an episode of their podcast ‘Teenager Therapy‘.

 

On the issue of mental health of the younger lot of the population, who are having to stay at home because the schools are closed, Markle said: “If you’re not in school, you’re finding yourselves on your devices or online more, right? And there’s a lot of vulnerability there that I think so many people are experiencing. And yes, it’s a great way to connect but also it kind of ends up being a place where there’s a lot of disconnection.”

 

She went to say that she was told she was the most trolled person in the entire world in 2019 — male or female. “Eight months of that, I was not even visible — I was on maternity leave, or with a baby. But what was able to just be manufactured and churned out. It’s almost unsurvivable. That’s so big you can’t even think about what that feels like. Because I don’t care if you’re 15 or 25, if people are saying things about you that aren’t true what that does to your mental and emotional health is so damaging,” she shared on the podcast.

She went on to discuss how her own experiences have shaped the work that she and her husband do to tackle the stigma attached to mental health issues.

 

“And so, I think from my standpoint, and part of the work that we do from our own personal experience, being able to talk to people and understand that even though our experience is unique to us — and obviously can seem very different to what people experience on the day-to-day — it’s still a human experience and that’s universal. We all know what it feels like to have our feelings hurt, we all know what it feels like to be isolated… We are all figuring it out,” she said.

ALSO READ | The royal exit: Here are privileges Harry and Meghan are set to lose

 

When asked how they focus on their well-being, especially since they are always under the spotlight, Harry said, “I am sure it is different for everybody, but it is a lot… There are good days and there are bad days. But I think putting your self-care as a priority is hugely important because vulnerability is not a weakness. Showing vulnerability in today’s world especially is a strength.”

The couple had left the UK earlier this year, citing financial independence as their reason of leaving behind the royal life. But over the course of the last few months, the tabloid culture in UK, excessive invasion of privacy, and scrutiny have come to be identified as some of the factors behind their decision.