MEGHAN Markle’s pals and colleagues have hit back against bullying claims as they line up to defend her ahead of Sunday’s explosive Oprah interview.
The executive producer of Suits has joined a chorus of friends voicing their support for the Duchess of Sussex, 39, in the bullying row with Buckingham Palace, calling her a “warm, kind, caring person”.
It comes after it emerged that at least 10 royal aides are queuing up to help with Palace’s bullying probe.
The shock investigation, ordered by the Queen, come after claims Meghan “humiliated” female aides and drove them to quit.
The Duchess strongly denies the claims.
Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Wednesday saying it is “very concerned” by the bullying accusations, first reported in The Times.
Palace sources said the Queen was “completely right” to order the probe “in the face of new allegations”.
In response to the reports, Meghan and Harry, 36, accused the Queen’s staff of orchestrating a “calculated smear campaign”.
And Meghan’s American friends and supporters have lined up defend her ahead of the explosive two-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey, due to be aired in the US on Sunday night.
Suits writer Jon Cowan wrote on Twitter: “It’s also possible the Duchess of Sussex is a good person thrust into an unimaginable world.
“Having spent 3 years working with her in her pre-Duchess days, I saw a warm, kind, caring person.
“I know nothing of her current situation but she gets the benefit of the doubt in my book.”
Angela Harvey, who said she worked on the set of Suits with Meghan, said she did not believe the bullying accusations for a “microsecond”.
“I worked on a set in Toronto when Meghan was on Suits,” she said.
“The ADs, PAs, and other crew on my show who had also worked with her loved her. LOVED. Set dynamics being what they are… I do not believe this bullying narrative for a microsecond.”
Meghan’s make-up artist friend Daniel Martin posted a poem about “light and love” in defence of the Duchess amid the bullying claims.
The Instagram post has been liked by thousands of people, including Meghan’s former best friend Jessica Mulroney.
The poem read: “Because she isn’t self centered, people can see the light in her. Because she does not boast of herself, she becomes a shining example.
“Because she does not glorify herself, she becomes a person of merit. Because she wants nothing from the world, the world cannot overcome her.”
It comes amid claims that:
- Meghan believed Kate, Charles and Camilla’s aides leaked stories about her
- 10-aides are ‘lining up’ to help the Palace with their investigation into the bullying claims
- Meghan had ‘furious rows’ with palace aides over freebie designer clothes
- Meghan’s pal accused the palace of racism – and said the star ‘knew it would get ugly’ before the Oprah interview aired
- Harry ‘spoke to his wife about her behaviour when talking to staff’ – even ‘gently admonishing her’ for the way she spoke to them
- The former actress ‘turned and hissed’ at a member of staff during a row in a Fiji market – leaving the employee ‘in tears’
And one of Meghan’s closest pals Janina Gavankar has backed her long-time friend amid the fallout of Megxit and bullying allegations.
Janina, who is close with Meghan and took the Sussex’s Christmas card photo in 2019, said the Duchess was “not a bully.”
“I have known Meghan for 17 years,” Janina said in a tweet.
“Here’s what she is: kind, strong, open. Here’s what she’s not: ‘a bully’.”
Lindsay Jill Roth, who had Meghan as the maid of honor at her wedding, also said “goodwill runs in her bones”.
In an article in society magazine Harper’s Bazaar – written by Meghan’s friend Omid Scobie – a friend of Meghan hinted that racism was to blame for the bullying allegations against her.
One, described as a close pal of Meghan, said: “I hate to say it, but find me a woman of color in a senior position who has not been accused of being too angry, too scary, too whatever in the workplace.
“It’s sad that it’s happening, but I’m not surprised.
“These claims are so far from the woman I know.”
Sources told Scobie the claims amounted to a “takedown” of Meghan’s character and a “pre-emptive strike” ahead of the TV interview on Sunday night.
Another said: “Harry and Meghan knew that it would get ugly in the run up, but seeing such an obvious attempt at destroying her character was distressing and upsetting.”
One of the subjects of the Oprah interview will be bullying, the magazine revealed.
According to the Daily Mail, Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent Katie Nicholl said: “Many Americans are now ‘Team Meghan’ and this does pose a big problem for the Royal Family.
“They’re hugely popular in the US but you hear a lot of Americans saying ‘this is a takedown’.”
She added: “This is being seen as a war between the Palace and the Sussexes ahead of what could be the most explosive royal interview wince Princess Diana sat down with Martin Bashir. This is potentially a big crisis for the royal family.”
‘PERPETUATING FALSEHOODS’
In the latest trailer for Sunday’s bombshell interview, the Duchess of Sussex accuses Buckingham Palace of “perpetuating falsehoods”.
Meghan even seems to issue a challenge to the Queen to strip her and husband Prince Harry of their HRH titles.
Presenter Oprah is shown asking Meghan: “How do you feel about the Palace hearing you speak your truth today?”
A clearly angry Meghan says: “I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.
“And if that comes with risk of losing things, there is a lot that has been lost already.”
The clip was released hours before it was revealed Prince Philip, 99, had successfully undergone surgery, which sources said may have been to have a second stent fitted.
Senior members of the Royal Family have united in a show of strength behind the Queen.
A senior royal source said: “The wagons are circling around the Queen and the institution. The family is under a brutal but entirely unnecessary attack. They don’t understand why on earth Meghan and Harry are being like this.
“At this point in time the focus is on supporting the Queen and praying that Prince Philip makes a full recovery from his operation.”
The interview will be screened by CBS in the US at 1am UK time on Monday and then by ITV on Monday at 9pm. It will be shown in 63 countries to hundreds of millions of viewers.
