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The Duchess of Sussex got candid about the horrendous social media attacks she experienced during her pregnancy while talking at an International Women’s Day panel held in Texas at the South by Southwest film festival, reports news.com.au.
The former Suits actress was accompanied by fellow speakers, including Pretty Baby actress Brooke Shields, sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen and American journalists Katie Couric and Errin Haines.
The panel of speakers discussed the topic: ‘Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen’.
Markle shed light on why she “keeps her distance” from social media, admitting that “toxicity” is the main factor.
“The bulk of the bullying and abuse that I was experiencing on social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and with Lillie, and with a newborn, with each of them,” she said.
Errin Haines, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Katie Couric, Brooke Shields and Nancy Wang Yuen speak onstage during the Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen panel during the 2024 SXSW Conference and Festival at Austin Convention Center on March 08, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Photo / Getty Images
“And you just think about that, and you really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful. It’s not catty it’s cruel.
“Why you would do that, certainly when you have a newborn, as mums, you know it’s such a tender and sacred time. And I think, you know, you can either succumb to it, or nearly succumb to how painful that is. And maybe in some regards, because I was pregnant, that mammalian instinct just kicked in, do everything you can to protect your child, and as a result protect yourself too.”
She added that there was “so much work to be done” in order to keep users safe on social media platforms, particularly kids.
“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, and I cannot make sense of that.”
She went on to say that the discussion was being filmed and would be posted on social media later on, adding that she thought it was a good thing to do so that people could watch the panel.
“At the same time, it’s a platform that has quite a bit of hate, and rhetoric and incentives people to create pages where they can churn out inciting comments and conspiracy theories that can have a tremendously negative effect on someone’s mental health, their physical safety.”
The Duchess of Sussex called for systematic changes to how social media platforms operate, as well as a “cultural” shift in the way people behave when using these apps.
“If you’re reading something terrible, terrible about a woman, why are you sharing it with your friends? Why are you choosing to put that out in the world?” she asked the audience.
During an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle said she'd had suicidal thoughts while pregnant with her son. Photo / Supplied
The Duke of Sussex went on to accuse the palace of running a “smear” campaign on Meghan, adding that the Royal Family was responsible for making her “cry into her pillow” at every night.
The Sussexes moved to the US in 2020, which the media dubbed as Megxit.
Harry backed up the decision to immigrate, saying he had to protect his family as there was no “possibility to keep them safe when they are on UK soil”.
