Meghan Markle recalls how she was Cyber-bullied while pregnant with Archie and Lilibet
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex has opened up about the 'cruel' cyber-bullying she faced while pregnant with her two children, Archie and Lilibet, during a panel discussion at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.
The Duchess of Sussex, who joined the event via video call from her home in California, revealed that she received the most hateful online abuse when she was expecting her son and daughter, and when they were newborns.
She said: 'The bulk of the bullying and the abuse that I was experiencing on social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and with Lili, and with a newborn with each of them.
''You just think about that, and to really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful. It's not catty, it's cruel. And why you would do that, certainly, when you're pregnant, with a newborn, we all know as moms, it's such a tender and sacred time.'
Meghan, who appeared on the screen wearing a purple blouse and a gold necklace, said she currently keeps 'distance' from social media for her well-being, but urged people to be more compassionate and respectful online. She said:
'I think that there are certain platforms, today is a really good example, this is being streamed on one of those platforms, and it's also fantastic because people are going to have access to hear all of this brilliance and all of this insight, and 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 very,
very inciting comments and conspiracy theories that can have a tremendously negative effect on someone's mental health, on their physical safety.'
She added: 'I think that there's a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of keeping people safe online, but I also find it very disturbing how much of the hate is women completely spewing it to other women.
''I cannot make sense of that, because I understand that there are certain platforms, today is a really good example, this is being streamed on one of those platforms, and it's also fantastic because people are going to have access to hear all of this brilliance and all of this insight, and 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 very, very inciting comments and conspiracy theories that can have a tremendously negative effect on someone's mental health, on their physical safety.'
Meghan was part of the 'Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen' panel, which also featured actress Brooke Shields, journalist Katie Couric, and activist Malala Yousafzai.
The panel, which was moderated by Errin Haines, editor-at-large of The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom focused on gender, politics and policy, marked the International Women's Day and celebrated the achievements and challenges of women in various fields.
Meghan, who is an advocate for women's rights and empowerment, shared her own experience of being a young girl who challenged a sexist TV advert when she was 11 years old.
She said: 'It's funny to look back at it now as it was before social media, where you had a reach that was so much greater, it was just an 11-year-old with a pen and paper, but goes to show if you know there is something wrong and you're using your voice to advocate for what is right, that can really land and resonate with people. Your voice is not small, it just needs to be heard.
'She also emphasized the importance of representation and diversity in media and leadership, saying:
'The key thing that I think needs to be focused on in terms of equity is it's not a zero-sum game, just because someone else has the same advantage that you do doesn't mean that you're losing anything, and actually create an environment that is so inclusive, where people feel as if they have a seat at the table - as they should.'
The panel was met with positive feedback from the audience, who praised Meghan and the other speakers for their inspiring and insightful messages.
One viewer tweeted: 'Thank you Meghan Markle for speaking up about the cyber-bullying you endured while pregnant. You are a brave and beautiful woman and I admire you so much.'
Another wrote: 'Meghan Markle is such a role model for women everywhere. She is smart, compassionate, and courageous. I loved hearing her speak at the SXSW panel.'
Meghan's appearance at the SXSW festival came as her husband Prince Harry is in the UK to attend the funeral of his grandfather Prince Philip, who passed away last week at the age of 99.
Meghan, who is pregnant with her second child, a girl, did not travel with Harry due to medical advice from her doctor.
The couple, who stepped back from their royal duties last year and moved to the US, have been making headlines recently after their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they made several shocking claims about their experience as members of the royal family.
Among the allegations, they said that there were 'concerns and conversations' about how dark their son Archie's skin might be before he was born, and that Meghan felt suicidal and was denied help by the palace.
The interview, which aired on March 7, sparked a global controversy and a crisis for the monarchy, which issued a statement saying that the issues raised were 'concerning' and would be 'addressed by the family privately'.
