PRINCE Harry claims his life is like the film The Truman Show and he is targeted with “vile and toxic abuse” by trolls.
The Duke of Sussex told Dax Shepard’s ‘Armchair Expert’ podcast he relates to Jim Carey’s character who has every second of his life scrutinised and broadcast to the world – and often feels like an animal in a zoo.
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The film, released in 1998, follows the life of a man who is living in a reality TV programme, unaware he is being watched by millions of people.
Dax told Harry: “You’re in the tiniest in group of all time, there’s the whole country and then there’s you guys.
“You’re standing in one direction and the whole world is standing in another direction looking at you. I was likening it to The Truman Show – have you seen that movie?”
Harry responded: “Yep, yep. It’s a mix between The Truman Show and living in a zoo.”
“You were kind of cast into a movie without being asked,” Dax added.
The prince also said has received “vile, toxic abuse” online and questioned what made trolls want to come after him.
He described the hatred as a “form of project” which derives from “unresolved pain”.
He said: “When it comes to trolling on social media, the best way I look at it is like, ok, take a moment, be aware of what this is doing to me and how it’s making me feel, but then look at them and go: ‘How’s your day going?'”
Harry added that he tries to have “compassion” for trolls, but finds it “really hard when you’re on the receiving end”.
“The reality is, flip it and say: ‘What happened to you? What made you want to come at me like that when clearly we’ve never met and you don’t know me?
“‘Like, what’s your goal? What are you actually doing? I know it might make you feel better in the moment but long-term it’s not going to help.'”
The duke added that he thinks many believe he cannot truly experience suffering as he is so privileged.
He said: “[People say] How bad can it be? You had people running around and doing this and that.
“I was born into privilege but it gave me a front row seat – my education was not in school but was in meeting people across the Commonwealth.
“I know people are looking at me saying, you’re a prince, you’re from a palace, where’s your crown and where’s your cape?
“The reality is, meeting people from all around the world puts it into context.”
Harry also revealed how he and Meghan Markle first met up in a supermarket and ‘pretended’ they didn’t know each other to avoid attracting attention.
He said: “The first time Meghan and I met up for her to come and stay with me, we met up in a supermarket in London, pretending we didn’t know each other, texting each other from the other side of the aisles.
“There’s people looking at me, giving me all these weird looks, and coming up to me and saying ‘hi’.
“I texted her saying ‘is this the right one’, and she said ‘no you want parchment paper’, and I’m like ‘where’s the parchment paper?'”
“I had a baseball cap on, looking down at the floor, trying to stay incognito.
“It’s amazing how much chewing gum you see, it’s a mess!”
