'It's Not Catty, It's Cruel': Meghan Markle Hits Back at 'Online Abuse' She Received While Pregnant

In a rare moment of candid confession, Meghan Markle lashed out at those who gave her "cruel online abuse" while she was pregnant with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The "avowed lifelong feminist" revealed her experiences as one of the panelists at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, on Friday, March 8.

The Duchess of Sussex revealed to the crowd: "Oh, it’s really interesting, as I can reflect on it. I keep my distance on it right now, just for my own well-being. But the bulk of the bullying and abuse that I was experiencing in social media and online, was when I was pregnant with Archie and with Lili."

She continued: "And you just think about that and really wrap your head around what people would be so hateful."

The ex-actress then leaned into her microphone to state: "It's not catty, it’s cruel, why you would do that? Certainly when you’re pregnant and you have a newborn."

While in Britain during her pregnancy with Prince Archie in late 2018 and the first two quarters of 2019, the Suits star alluded to "racist press coverage" of her unborn child. She and Prince Harry also suggested that a member of the royal family inquired about Archie's prospective skin color during their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Meghan also took aim at "hateful" women during her panel interview, which has surprised many royal analysts due to her strong feminist views.

"What I find the most disturbing frankly, especially as a supporter of women, is how much of the hate is women completely spewing that to other women. I cannot make sense of that," the Duchess observed.

She then "plugged her website" to praise the "important and heartbreaking work" the Archewell Foundation is doing in this regard. This insight comes amid reports suggesting that the Montecito couple's foundation "is in the red" with a staggering drop in donations in 2023 when compared to 2022.

The ex-working royal then shared: "Children have taken their lives because of the abuse they have received in the online space. Young girls are going online and drowning in this world of comparison, their sense of self is so small and they don’t see the value of being alive."

The Duchess of Sussex, along with her Duke, has been on the PR circuit for most of 2024 so far. In February, the pair traveled to Vancouver, Canada, to celebrate the 1-year countdown to the 2025 Invictus Games. This high-profile visit came after Harry visited a sick King Charles on February 6. The fifth in line to the throne is also with Meghan during their promotional work in Austin.

GBN reported on Meghan's panel interview.