Just days before Meghan Markle and husband Prince Harry’s much-anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey is set to air, the Duchess of Sussex has been hit by allegations of bullying.
In a report by The Times, sources have claimed that one of Markle’s closest advisers filed a complaint of bullying against her while she was at Kensington Palace.
“The complaint claimed that she drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member,” the Times report read.
In a statement, the former ‘Suits’ actress denied the allegations.
“The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma,” a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement. “She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good.”
The Sussexes also issued a legal letter to the Times calling their report a smear campaign ahead of their interview with Winfrey — where they are set to discuss their decision to leave the royal family and the scrutiny Markle faced after marrying Harry.
“Let’s just call this what it is — a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation. We are disappointed to see this defamatory portrayal of The Duchess of Sussex given credibility by a media outlet,” the letter read. “It’s no coincidence that distorted several-year-old accusations aimed at undermining The Duchess are being briefed to the British media shortly before she and The Duke are due to speak openly and honestly about their experience of recent years.”
Harry and Markle, who are expecting their second child together, first stepped away from royal life in March 2020 and in February 2021 Buckingham Palace announced that they would not be returning.
Their interview with TV icon Winfrey is set to air on March 7.
