Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Face Backlash for NBA All-Stars Game Outing After Wanting Privacy: 'So Cringe'

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are once again under fire for wanting to be in the spotlight.

On Sunday, February 15, the couple stepped out for the 75th NBA All-Star Game, keeping it coordinated and low-key in matching monochrome looks. Meghan wore a navy sweater with matching pants and showed off her fresh, layered hair.

For his part, Harry kept it simple in black jeans and a black button-up shirt. Sitting nearby was Queen Latifah, who rocked a gray sweatsuit with silver jewelry.

When the arena cameras landed on them, Meghan gently rubbed Harry’s arm. The pair smiled, waved and said “hi” to the lens.

While the moment seemed harmless, social media had thoughts.

“For two people who whine constantly about how the media has made their lives miserable, look how they light up with happiness when they see the camera 😉,” one critic wrote.

Another added on X, “The arm rub is so cringe…”

“Meghan treats him like a child, ‘look at the camera for mommy,’” a third person commented.

“He left the royal family because he felt like he was living in a zoo. Now he waves on command,” someone else said.

“She's in ecstasy every time she gets some camera attention and she seeks for it. Like, obsessively,” another user chimed in.

The public outing comes a day after Meghan shared a Valentine’s Day post that also stirred up chatter. The 44-year-old uploaded a sweet photo of Harry, 41, carrying their daughter, Princess Lilibet, 4. In the snap, Lilibet held red and pink heart-shaped balloons as her dad carried her.

"These two + Archie = my forever Valentines," Meghan captioned the image.

Still, critics quickly pointed out that their son, Prince Archie, was not pictured.

"Look here everyone Archie didn’t even make it to the Valentine’s Day pic for Meghan’s Instagram! Nothing like excluding kids to say I love only you Lilibet," one person scoffed.

"Slowly but surely showing more of their faces. They’re desperate," another wrote. "Photoshop balloons in and leave Archie out. Again. Lovely," a user added.

"Wow she really hates Archie...what a monstrous woman she is," someone else posted angrily.

"I am sorry, but that does not look like a [real] image at all," another said.

"That kid’s hair is never brushed," one critic wrote about Lilibet’s shoulder-length light brown hair. "Poor child."

Just two days before Valentine’s Day, on February 13, the couple enjoyed a dinner date at Beverly Hills hotspot Funke. Harry wore a light black puffer jacket with dark jeans, while Meghan styled her hair in a low bun and stepped out in a chocolate brown coat with black slacks, according to photos published by People.

Although the pair have been seen out and about more frequently lately, some critics were quick to point out the irony. Back in 2020, Meghan and Harry stepped down from royal duties and relocated to California, saying they wanted to build a more private life away from the intense media scrutiny they faced in the U.K.