15 People That Have Shaded Meghan Markle In The Past
Meghan Markle went from being an American actress, just starting to make a name for herself, to a member of the British royal family, virtually overnight. Markle wed Prince Harry on May 19, 2018, and subsequently became the Duchess of Sussex. The highly publicized wedding was easily the biggest craze of 2018, with an estimated 2 billion people - including 29 million Americans tuning in to watch the big event. To put things in perspective, that's roughly 25% of the entire world's population!
Despite having a huge amount of supporters, Meghan Markle also has a fair share of people who aren't convinced of her authenticity. In fact, some people, including family members and exes, have shared their negative sentiments with the world in the months leading up to the wedding.
Naturally, we can't be adored by everyone, and even royal women are no exception to this rule. Princess Diana herself often felt ostracized and unfairly targeted within the royal walls. Is Meghan strong enough to survive life as a royal, while keeping her cool and ignoring the flood of criticism that has surfaced recently from her past? Here are 15 people that have sent shade Meghan Markle's way since her affiliation with the British Royal Family.
15 Her Father Thomas Sold His Story To Gossip Sites
Just days before the royal wedding was scheduled to take place, the biggest news story revolved around Meghan's estranged father, Thomas Markle, and whether or not he would be attending his daughter's second wedding. His absence was officially explained as a health-related issue; according to Metro News, Mr. Markle suffered from a heart attack days prior to the wedding and needed to have a reparative surgery to help with his condition.
Meghan herself issued a statement confirming that he needed time to get well, although her words were undescriptive and the message was very brief.
Furthermore, Kensington Palace also released a statement about Mr. Markle's absence, and this time, no health issues were mentioned. On top of all of the conflicting statements about his health, Mr. Markle was photographed out and about, ordering take-out food from McDonald's and KFC. He also spoke with American gossip website TMZ and offered several versions of his story.
In the end, it seems that he didn't want to embarrass his daughter by attending her wedding; he never met Prince Harry and isn't close with Meghan. To make the story even more strange, Mr. Markle has blamed his heart attack on stress caused by his older daughter Samantha's penchant for trashing his sister in the press.
14 Her Half-Sister Samantha Changes Her Story Often
Another member of Meghan's family who wasn't in attendance at the royal wedding? Her half-sister, Samantha Grant. Ever since news got out about Meghan being romantically linked to Prince Harry last year, her sister Samantha has not been able to stay away from the press. Volunteering several unfavorable anecdotes, Samantha has painted Meghan out to be a heartless and selfish gold digger who never helped her family out when they needed financial or emotional support.
Samantha, who has the same father as Meghan, claimed in an interview with The Sun that Mr. Markle had financial troubles that led him to file for bankruptcy, and still Meghan wouldn't help him. Of course, all of this is her word against Meghan's, and in true royal fashion, she has not exactly been able to retaliate or tell her side of the story in too much detail.
A statement was made suggesting that Meghan and Samantha hadn't spoken for over a decade, reducing Samantha's credibility greatly. Furthermore, Samantha appeared in a television special about Meghan's life, broadcasted on British channel ITV, in which she said only kind and generous things about her half-sister.
The story doesn't seem to add up! Needless to say, Samantha was not invited to the royal wedding.
13 Her Ex-Husband Trevor Engelson Was Blindsided By Divorce
Before Meghan became Harry's bride, she was involved in a long-term relationship with actor and director Trevor Engelson. First linked in 2004, they spent 7 years as a couple before getting married in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in 2011. They split up in 2013. Meghan's longtime friend, Ninaki Priddy, spoke to News.com about her thoughts on the relationship that Meghan had with Trevor. According to her interview, she was very disappointed in the way that Meghan broke things off with Trevor. She explained that Meghan was very concerned with social status, and would stop at nothing to rise to fame.
Priddy claimed that Meghan was very calculated within her relationships, and was quick to cut people out of her life when they no longer served her.
Engelson, furthermore, was taken off guard when Meghan abruptly called things off and filed for divorce. Only a number of weeks later, she had already moved on to date Canadian chef, Cory Vitiello. Trevor apparently tried everything to make things work between them, including traveling to and from Toronto on a weekly basis to visit Meghan, who was living in the Canadian city to be closer to the set of Suits. Trevor has apparently been perturbed about all of the media craze circulating around Meghan's royal wedding to Prince Harry, as it brings back bad memories for him.
12 Actor Russell Brand Claims To Have Kissed The Duchess
Russell Brand is known to make big splashes with his bold statements and candid way of speaking. As a famous comedian and actor, Russell has spent the last 10 years in recovery from substance dependency. He is now speaking out about his struggles and offering support for others in similar situations, making it clear that you can't go through it alone.
But before he cleaned up his act, he was known for his party-boy ways. In a recent interview on Loose Women, Russell claimed that he had once smooched Meghan Markle. The crowd erupted in laughter and shock, but Russell quickly explained that it was part of a scene in the popular film, Get Him To The Greek.
According to Russell, the scene was brief and featured Meghan for only moments. He admittedly did not remember the actual kiss scene, until someone showed him the footage for it much later. Only years later, when Meghan became actual royalty, did he make the link. Of course, Russell doesn't take himself very seriously and has the right sense of humor to be able to joke about his one smooch with the Duchess. Not too sure if she, or Harry, appreciated him making jokes about it on live TV, though!
11 Her Half-Brother Thomas Jr. Thinks Meghan Is Cheap
Yet another estranged family member of Meghan's is her half-brother, Thomas Jr. The pair share a father, but have a fourteen year age gap, and never lived under the same roof as kids. Thomas' version of their relationship is slightly different than Meghan's. According to her 50-year-old half-brother, the duo was very close when they were younger, he told the Daily Mirror.
Thomas has been the center of tabloid attention for getting into trouble with the law in the months since it was discovered that he was related to the royal brunette.
Episodes of being intoxicated in public, and disturbing the peace, led to his arrest in the state of Oregon, where he resides. Furthermore, he has been in trouble for allegedly possessing weapons. Thomas is responsible for leaking several childhood photos of Meghan to the press, and despite doing whatever it takes to be interviewed, he still insists that Meghan is the one who is a social climber.
Thomas was not sent an invitation to the wedding, and Meghan has not hidden her disapproval of his antics. Although she can't share her most intimate feelings and opinions anymore (at least, not publicly), she did make a statement saying that she doesn't even know her half-brother. Cold!
10 Her Sister-In-Law Kate Middleton Is In Competition With Her
We can understand why Meghan's most recent ex-boyfriend, Canadian chef Cory Vitiello, has some hard feelings towards Meghan. According to The Sun, Meghan was living with Cory in Toronto when she met Prince Harry. Although the story is that she jumped right out of their relationship and into her affair with Harry, friends claim that the relationship was in rough shape for quite awhile. The pair met in 2014 and dated for two years, most of which was spent together in Toronto, where Meghan was filming Suits.
Friends from the pair's social circle also told The Sun that Meghan had a very entitled attitude, and constantly used her growing fame to get into the hottest clubs and restaurants. Further, she got under Cory's skin one night when, at a dinner party, she took credit for a pasta dish recipe that he apparently created.
Despite this, Cory's mom apparently only had nice things to say about Meghan, and she had never heard the details of the pasta incident.
The Kensington Palace email account must be getting pretty full; The Sun tabloid reached out to inquire about Meghan's relationship with Cory, but they, naturally, refused to comment on her past relationship. Not a stone goes unturned when you want to join the royal family!
8 Talk Show Host Wendy Williams Thinks Meghan Is Basic
Perhaps no one in the media is quite as passionate about her dislike for Meghan Markle than television personality Wendy Williams. Wendy has been very open about her opinion of Meghan, claiming that she is a fame-hungry and "random" princess. She pointed out that Meghan once applied to be on her show, aptly called Wendy Williams (her main platform for dissing Meghan) and she really believes that Meghan's relationship with Harry was just another calculated step in her way to the top. But, of course, Wendy didn't stop at that!
She's also made some pretty nasty comments about the fact that Meghan is a divorcée. When discussing who would be walking Meghan down the aisle, before the wedding, Wendy stated that she should walk down the aisle alone, since her mother had done it the first time for her wedding to Trevor Engelson. Ouch! Wendy has also gone so far as to make comments about how Meghan has an agenda to get what she wants from Harry and then move on swiftly. She criticized the fact that the pair does not have a prenuptial agreement, and urged Harry to "watch out" on live TV. There is no denying that Wendy is the worst offender when it comes to throwing shade Meghan's way!
7 British Media Personality Katie Hopkins Has Not Been Kind To Meghan
It seems that you are either a Meghan Markle fan, or you're not. This much has been made evident in the weeks and months leading up to the royal wedding, and in all of the subsequent commentaries after the big day. British media personality, and Daily Mail reporter, Katie Hopkins, hasn't treaded lightly with the criticisms of Meghan's character.
Early in the couple's relationship, Katie published an article in which she called Meghan an Instagram-addicted retiring actress.
When Harry urged the public to respect Meghan's privacy, she said (according to Nicki Swift), "If you don't want Miss Sparkle trolled on social media, advise her to stay away from posting pictures of bananas spooning on her Instagram account." She added, "If Meghan - a woman who acts, and does PR for a living - doesn't understand that then, dare I suggest, maybe she isn't suitable girlfriend material, let alone a potential bride?". Pretty harsh! She didn't slow down, either.
Just months before the royal wedding, Katie was at it again, this time calling Meghan a "budget Princess Di". One thing's for sure, Katie Hopkins will not soon be invited for high tea with the royal family. Hopefully, Meghan can tune out this type of trash talk and focus on the positive things people are saying about her, instead!
6 Piers Morgan Says That Meghan Ghosted Him
Piers Morgan and Meghan Markle are not the first two people you would think of when pairing celebrity friendships. Piers Morgan, on an episode of Loose Women, told a tale that dates back several years. According to his story, he messaged Meghan via Twitter, as he was a big fan of her television series, Suits. She wrote back to him, sharing positive comments and praise for his work, and they agreed to meet for a drink at a pub. After spending close to two hours together, Piers thought he had made himself a new pal. Well, that's when things took a turn.
Piers tried to contact Meghan again, and this time, she wasn't so receptive. In fact, she wasn't receptive at all, and never replied to his message. Anyone who's watched Piers Morgan knows that he can be very passionate (opinionated!) about certain topics. So it's no surprise that he hasn't let the Meghan Markle ghosting incident go. In March of this year, he was once again using his voice to criticize Meghan and Harry. This time, he had an issue with their choice to throw tradition to the wind and opt for an organic lemon and elderflower cake on their wedding day. Piers wanted them to stick to traditional fruitcake.
5 Author Chrissie Swan Doesn't Buy It
Australian author and TV personality Chrissie Swan is another media figure who isn't on Team Markle. Although she isn't a well-known commentator in Europe or North America, in Australia she is quite famous. Her coverage of all things to do with the royal family in recent years has made it clear that she doesn't give Meghan much credibility.
Chrissie has said on many occasions that she just doesn't believe that Meghan is authentically into Harry and that she is using this relationship to climb the social ladder of the aristocracy.
Furthermore, she has said that Meghan is treating this new chapter of her life more like a movie role; her behavior and body language look acted and unnatural. Although many Australians agree with her, several people have bitten back and accused Chrissie of being unkind and exhibiting behavior fit for a bully!
Chrissie didn't let up her mean girl antics after the royal wedding, either. She continued to stand by her position and made this statement to Daily Mail: 'To me she looks like she's portraying a concocted humility. Acting." While Meghan is an actress, she probably doesn't appreciate her personal life being pinned as another role.
4 Princess Eugenie Had To Postpone Her Wedding
According to Cheat Sheet, two months after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially announced their engagement, Harry's cousin, Princess Eugenie followed suit and confirmed that she was engaged to her long-term boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank. Originally, Eugenie had her heart set on a September wedding, but she was allegedly asked to postpone her wedding date to October, to accommodate Harry and Meghan's busy schedule. They apparently have royal duties on the agenda for most of the month of September, and would not be able to attend the wedding unless it was postponed.
Eugenie and Jack are to be married at the same venue as Harry and Meghan, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. We can expect a big commotion, but not quite the same scale as last week's event! Eugenie was allegedly miffed that she was not going to be able to plan her wedding on the date that she wanted, and she holds a grudge against Meghan for ruining her plans. Princess Eugenie has not hidden her disappointment when she's crossed paths with Meghan; we can expect that the October wedding might be somewhat awkward for a certain newly appointed American Duchess! Not only that, Meghan will probably not make the shortlist for bridesmaids considerations!
3 Prince Andrew Turned His Royal Nose Up To Meghan
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and father of Eugenie and Beatrice is another member of the British royal family that isn't blown away by the newest addition to the gang. Shortly after Prince Harry and Meghan announced their engagement, in November 2017, the couple were invited to meet with several members of the royal family. The Queen and her husband Prince Philip are said to have reacted warmly to Meghan, and this was made clear when the Queen issued a statement giving her formal blessing in an official letter. Not all members of the Royals were impressed with her, however.
At a Christmas event, at the Sandringham House, things were a little tense when Prince Andrew gave Meghan a visibly cold reception.
In contrast, his brother, Prince Edward, was very fond of Meghan, as were Andrew's daughters Beatrice and Eugenie (this was before the wedding date postponement!). Prince Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, aka Fergie, shocked onlookers as she arrived at Harry and Meghan's wedding. She hasn't been an official member of the Royals for over 20 years, and many speculated that she wouldn't be sent an invitation.
2 Radio Personality Kate Hawkesby Thinks Meghan Is Fake
Yet another media personality that thinks Meghan doesn't come across as fully authentic. Meet Kate Hawkesby, who is a popular radio host in New Zealand, and one who certainly doesn't censor her negative feelings towards the new Duchess. Not only has Kate called Meghan fake, she has said that her gut instinct is not to trust Meghan. She's pointed out that her story of being set up with Prince Harry on a blind date is highly improbable. If you had a friend that ran in with monarchy circles, chances are, you would know about it, and ask lots of questions.
Kate has more of the impression that Meghan knew about Harry being in Toronto, and worked her way into his sights. Not only has Kate criticized Meghan, she has said some pretty nasty things about her family. Yes, it's clear that their family is not the Brady Bunch, but most of the strange members of the family are estranged from Meghan and seem to have been seeking their five minutes of fame by exploiting her. But right before Meghan and Harry were to wed, Kate decided it was an appropriate time to publish an article about the dysfunction of the Markle's. The good news is that she didn't rail into Meghan too hard this time, and only repeated things that had already been circulating in the news prior to the wedding.
1 British Columnist Jan Moir Thinks Meghan Is Too Comfortable
British columnist Jan Moir is on the anti-Meghan train, as well. She has not hid her position when it comes to the newly admitted member of the royal family. Her main concern? She thinks that Meghan has gotten too comfortable, too quickly. As a British citizen, Jan appreciates the tradition of the monarchy and finds it somewhat disrespectful to come in and try to make modern day changes. Of course, this is why the majority of her fans love her. But for those who are happy with the way things always were, Meghan is a bit of an American nightmare.
She's accused Meghan of being too smiley and "huggy wuggy" for the sake of the camera, stating that she looks like she's acting in a future role of herself in a made for TV film.
Ouch. She's also pointed out that most of the royal family have maintained private and quiet lives, which is something that is almost expected once you are part of the family. If she keeps up with her open book style, she might continue to throw off British citizens who take their monarchy very seriously and need to be introduced to change slowly. Very slowly.
References: metro.co.uk, thesun.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, us.blastingnews.com, nickiswift.com , thesun.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, thesun.co.uk