The Duchess of Sussex has spoken about the “almost unsurvivable” online abuse she was subjected to while on maternity leave in a podcast to mark World Mental Health Day.
Meghan appeared alongside Prince Harry on the Teenage Therapy podcast as she recalled being told that “in 2019, I was the most trolled person in the entire world – male or female”.
“Eight months of that, I wasn’t even visible, I was on maternity leave with the baby – but what was able to be manufactured and churned out, it’s almost unsurvivable, it’s so big you can’t even think what that feels like,” she said.
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The duke and duchess spoke with three of Teenager Therapy‘s hosts Gael, Kayla and Thomas about removing the stigma around the issue of mental health, and how “we can all contribute to a healthier world: physically, mentally, emotionally, holistically”.
Meghan, who welcomed her first child Archie in May last year. revealed that her mental health suffered due to the relentless trolling she was targeted with.
“I don’t care if you’re 15 or 25, if people are saying things about you that aren’t true, what that does to your mental and emotional health is so damaging,” the duchess said.
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Harry added that while it is “very easy to be sucked in and consumed by negativity”, everyone has “the choice to be able to cut that out of our lives”.
“Hate following has become a thing, you don’t need to do that. Just as much as we worry about, be concerned, and take notice of what we put in our bellies as a diet, the same applies for our eyes and our mind, what we’re consuming is affecting us,” the royal explained.
“For me, I made the choice not to read it, not to see it, and to remove myself from that, and to very much focus on the uplifting and the hopeful side.”
It was recently reported that Harry and Meghan are planning to return to the UK, with a Sussex source telling BAZAAR.com: “Had it not been for COVID-19 and travel restrictions, they would have already been back in the UK –for things like Beatrice’s wedding and Trooping of the Colour for example.”
The source added: “It is worth also pointing out, that the trial date for the Mail on Sunday is set to start on January 11, 2021 at the High Court, London, which if nothing changes, will still require two week’s self-isolation before it starts.”
The Sussexes are likely to return to the UK before New Year, so that Meghan can testify in person at the trial, after self-isolating first.
The couple stood back from senior royal duties earlier this year and are currently living in Montecito in Santa Barbara.
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