After Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were labeled “disaster tourists” for visiting the smoldering ruins of homes destroyed within the Eaton fire, the couple is reflecting on the private, skilled and reputational challenges they’ve faced over the past five years , facing a brand new trial They left royal life and moved to California.
Unfortunately for the Montecito-based Duke and Duchess of Sussex, American Hustle a brand new cover story in Vanity Fair, appears to substantiate previous reports that Meghan was a “terrible,” “difficult,” and even “bullying” boss toward her employees. For the 8,000-word article, the magazine spoke to dozens of individuals, a few of whom could only be interviewed anonymously because they were required to sign nondisclosure agreements.
While Harry could be “charming” when he gives the look that he has “no inner life” apart from Polo, Vanity Fair reported that Meghan seems to strive to be “a good person” and to be committed to “the to improve the world (if at all). brand-building activities.” And yet the former television actor has become a polarizing figure in America. She also tends to engage in what author Anna Peele calls retaliatory behavior toward “people who find themselves so beneath her status.”
Someone who had difficulty working on Meghan and Harry's troubled Netflix and Spotify media projects told Vanity Fair that their relationships with their co-workers tended to follow a familiar pattern. She would “initially be warm and effusive, creating an atmosphere of professional camaraderie.”
When something didn't work out, often because of Meghan and Harry's own demands — such as having a teaser for their Spotify podcast released months before episodes were recorded — “she became cold and reserved towards the person she was rooting for.” held accountable,” the source told Vanity Fair.
The source said it was “really, really, really terrible. Very painful. Because she's constantly playing checkers – I'm not even saying chess – but she's just very aware of where everyone is on her board. And if you’re not there, you’ll be thrown to the wolves at any time.”
Meghan's interactions with subordinates could be “undermining,” the source also told Vanity Fair. “It eats away at your self-esteem. Sort of like a 'Mean Girls' teenager, actually.”
Before working with Meghan, the person found it difficult to believe the stories of Meghan bullying palace aides or yelling at them after she married Harry in 2018. The first reports came from Times UK in 2021, a year after Meghan and Harry left Britain. She denounces the cruel and racist treatment by the tabloid media and the royal family. But after working with Meghan, this person discovered that such behavior occurred “on any given Tuesday.”
Vanity Fair reported that one person took a leave of absence after working with Meghan on three episodes of her Spotify podcast “Archetypes,” while “several others” said they took prolonged breaks, quit their jobs, or former television actor underwent long-term therapy.
“I think if Meghan acknowledged her own shortcomings or personal contributions to situations rather than remaining trapped in a victim narrative, perhaps her perception would be better,” one person told Vanity Fair, before the person half-jokingly said, “But who Am I opposite? Criticize Meghan Markle? She’s doing great.”
The Vanity Fair report comes at an important time in Harry and Meghan's efforts to succeed as media moguls, entrepreneurs and global do-gooders.
Meghan's plan to ascertain herself as a way of life guru together with her recent Netflix series “With Love, Meghan” last week was placed on hold following the outbreak of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires on January 8. Meghan announced the postponement to March 4th “as we focus on the needs of those affected by the wildfires in my home state of California.”
Her critics said she and Netflix clearly had no alternative but to postpone a show during which the duchess celebrates her lavish Southern California lifestyle together with her celebrity friends after so many others lost every part in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan initially made big headlines for stopping by Pasadena last Friday to serve meals, leave donations and hug survivors of the Eaton fire. But they soon faced harsh criticism online from actress Justine Bateman and others outraged at being photographed, and got a private tour of burned-out neighborhoods by the mayor of Pasadena.
Bateman called them “disaster tourists” and “Ambulance Chaser.” TMZ founder Harvey Levin and his producers also criticized the couple to see earlier this week. “I think it's crazy that people exist. Most people can’t access these areas, especially in Altadena, and don’t even know if their homes are still there,” Levin said. “Meghan and Harry showing up from Montecito and getting a tour? For what purpose?”
Executive producer Charles Latibeaudiere agreed that it was an “abuse of resources,” while senior news producer Charlie Neff said their visit “doesn't go down well with people in the community…” It feels fake and unnecessary to go there.”
It stays to be seen whether the criticism of the “disaster tourist” will proceed. But the Vanity Fair story raises questions on their marriage, as Harry is portrayed as a naive, lonely one who has made no friends and is eager to reconnect along with his family. A source suggested he wasn't necessarily aware of the damage his tell-all memoir “Spare” would have on his relationships along with his family. He can be described as having such a wierd, privileged upbringing that he doesn't “know what life really is” or understand the concept of having to make a living.
The story could also reignite Meghan's bullying controversy. Her representatives initially dismissed the 2021 TImes UK report as a part of a “calculated smear campaign” launched by a royal establishment and the British press that had change into hostile towards her. The bullying allegations appeared to subside after Buckingham Palace said in 2022 that it will not release the outcomes of an internal investigation into Meghan's alleged bullying.
But The Hollywood Reporter revived the difficulty in September with a scathing report during which a source said Meghan “belittles people,” doesn't take advice and is a “dictator in high heels” who’s indignant and barks orders. Both she and Harry are “poor decision makers,” a source also said, which might explain why after two years and a reported $20 million contract, the pair only managed to supply a 12-episode podcast. The Daily Beast followed up with one other report that quoted employees describing her as “a demon” who had “mental moments.”
For its report, Vanity Fair spoke to individuals who had good experiences with Meghan, including producer Jane Marie, who tried to assist them develop podcasts for his or her Archewell productions. “She’s just a lovely, genuine person,” Marie said of Meghan.
Peele, the Vanity Fair author, tried to offer a sensitive explanation for why Meghan may need trouble managing employees or be annoyed that others judge her or look down on her. That goes back to when she claimed she was an outsider in highschool, Peele noted.
“Is it any surprise that a sense of victimhood and justice could persist in a person who was treated so horribly by the press and her husband's family?” Peele wrote.
Meghan may additionally view certain people as enemies or intruders, and not only “the vile” media or “her deplorable father and half-sister” who’ve sold stories about her to the tabloids, Peele said. Meghan's enemies is also professionals who work for her, from palace staff to those that “actually knew how to do a podcast,” Peele suggested. She may begin to view her as more powerful than she is, “despite her immense fame, wealth and privilege,” Peele wrote.
“And whatever happened to them, well… they shouldn't have gotten in the way of Meghan and her good work,” Peele concluded.
Originally published:
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