Meghan Markle's friends are speaking up in her defense after months of endless "bullying" by the public.
Five members of the Duchess of Sussex's inner circle gave anonymous interviews to People this week. They include longtime pals, colleagues, and a former costar. The women decided to remain anonymous, but their words make it clear — Meghan is so much more normal and sweet than the press makes her out to be!
The women hoped to "stand up against the global bullying we are seeing and speak the truth about our friend." It's hard to watch Meghan endure so much verbal abuse with her growing baby bump, one former costar said.
"We worry about what this is doing to her and the baby," she said. "It’s wrong to put anyone under this level of emotional trauma, let alone when they’re pregnant."
So what is the truth about Meghan, exactly?
Well, she lives a surprisingly humble life, for starters. She still lives in a cozy cottage for now, and she cooks meals for herself and Prince Harry every day. She's a grade A listener who gives top-notch advice to her friends. The women also clarified Meghan's relationship with her estranged father and half-siblings.
Meghan Markle has endured quite a lot of criticism in the press since she married Prince Harry and became the Duchess of Sussex last year. Critics have accused her of being rude, improper, spoiled, bossy, and countless other unsavory things, not to mention the ridiculous ongoing rumors of a feud with Kate Middleton.
Recently, a source reported that Meghan even had to delete her secret Instagram account because of all the hatred online. She was reportedly worried about her own safety.
Members of the royal family are notoriously private, so Meghan hasn't had much of a chance to speak up for herself, although Kensington Palace did attempt to put those feud rumors to bed with a rare response to the press.
But finally, Team Meghan decided to do something about all this vitriol. Several of Meghan's close friends gave anonymous interviews to People in her defense.
By agreeing to an interview, the friends aimed to "stand up against the global bullying we are seeing and speak the truth about our friend," according to a longtime friend and former costar.
"Meg has silently sat back and endured the lies and untruths," the costar said.
Being at the center of so much negative attention would be difficult for anyone, but it's especially hard on Meghan, who's expecting her first baby with Harry in the spring.
"We worry about what this is doing to her and the baby,” the costar said. “It’s wrong to put anyone under this level of emotional trauma, let alone when they’re pregnant.”
The women went on to get candid about what Meghan's life and personality is really like.
"We've all been to their cottage," one close pal said. "It's small and she's made it cozy, but the perception of their lifestyle and the reality are two different things. Meg cooks for herself and Harry every single day."
One friend recently visited the cottage from LA.
"We had a couple of days together recently. Her husband was out of town on work," the friend said. "In the room she made up for me, there was a candle lit by the bed, slippers and a robe. We were the only two in the house. It was our time. She made the most lovely meals. She made tea every day. It was raining and muddy outside, so the dogs got all dirty, and she’s wiping them off with towels. How much she loves her animals, how much she loves her friends, how much she loves feeding you, taking care of you — none of that has changed."
That report stands in stark contrast to the more critical reports of Meghan — some of which come from her own family members, like her half-sister Samantha Markle. But Meghan's friends clarified her relationship to her estranged family members, too.
"They have been made to appear as siblings who had this falling out, and that's not the truth at all. They were not a part of her life," a longtime friend said.
In addition to Samantha, Meghan has an estranged half-brother, Thomas Jr. She's no longer in touch with her father, Thomas Markle, either.
Thomas has given several interviews to the press about his attempts to contact Meghan and how she's abandoned him without explanation. That's not true either, the friends report.
"He knows how to get in touch with her," said the same friend. "He's never called; he's never texted. It's super painful."
But despite everything that's going on with her, Meghan still manages to be an excellent listener for her friends.
"When you see her at walkabouts, when she crouches down to talk to the kids and genuinely has real conversations with people, that’s Meg," the former costar said. "That’s how she crouches down with our kids at home. That’s how she plays with them. That’s how she engages with people and how she always has."
Indeed, Meg is a selfless friend whom her gal pals tend to turn to first for advice.
A friend said, "If I'm thrown some kind of curveball, I always think, 'I gotta talk to Meg.' We talk daily. And the first thing out of her mouth is, 'How are the kids? How are you?' I'm not even allowed to ask about her until she finds out about me."
Basically, Meghan is super sweet and probably not in a feud with anyone, not even her extremely vocal estranged family members. Everyone calm down!
