Harry Says Meghan Shouldn't Be Trolled for Showing Her Unfiltered Self Online

FTD News

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00:00At the 2025 Nexus Global Summit in New York, Harry took the stage to speak on a topic that's

00:05become deeply personal to him and his wife, Meghan. Prince Harry said Meghan Markle was

00:10the most trolled person in the world while speaking at Nexus Global Summit in New York.

00:15So much of these problems are being created without them. During a panel focused on creating

00:21a healthier digital world, Harry opened up about the harsh realities Meghan has faced online,

00:26and why he believes her vulnerability should be met with compassion, not criticism.

00:31Harry spoke out against the online hate Meghan Markle has faced at the 2025 Nexus Global Summit

00:38in New York. One of the reasons why the digital world was so important to us is because my wife,

00:43in 2018, was the most trolled person in the world, Harry said to the audience,

00:48speaking from a place of both personal experience and deep concern. He emphasized that this wasn't

00:54just a headline or a statistic. It was a real experience that affected their lives.

00:59Prince Harry says Meghan Markle was most trolled person in the world during surprise appearance

01:05in New York. There was a lived experience, he added. Harry explained that their work through

01:11the Archewell Foundation was shaped in part by the conversations they had with parents

01:15and families impacted by the darker sides of the internet. Through those conversations, he said,

01:21it became even clearer how important it was to promote kindness and wellness in digital spaces.

01:27That's when it really started to make sense to us, he noted, describing how compassion often fades

01:32when life gets tough, and how that loss of empathy can manifest online in damaging ways.

01:37For Meghan, the scrutiny began shortly after she and Harry went public with their relationship.

01:42When they got engaged in November 2017 and married in May 2018, public interest in the couple surged,

01:50but so did online criticism. Meghan, who had already built a career as an actress and activist,

01:56found herself at the center of an international media storm. She was regularly criticized in headlines

02:01and social media posts, many of which focused not on her work or her actions, but on her identity and appearance.

02:08Harry's decision to speak out now, years after they stepped back from royal duties,

02:14highlights just how much the couple continues to be affected by their digital experience.

02:19Since 2020, they have lived in Montecito, California, where they are raising their two

02:23children, Archie and Lilibet, and building a new chapter rooted in service and storytelling through

02:29Archewell. In previous interviews, Meghan has shared how intense the public scrutiny became.

02:34In one conversation, she described feeling overwhelmed and confused by how much negativity

02:40was being directed at her, especially when she was simply trying to be herself.

02:45She said she would stay up at night, wondering why so much was being written and shared,

02:49often without context or truth. Although some public commentary has questioned how much Meghan

02:54was affected, the toll is something Harry continues to take seriously. At the summit,

03:00he didn't just speak about statistics or policy. He spoke from the heart. He made it clear that people,

03:06especially women in the public eye, should not be punished for showing their unfiltered selves

03:11online. Instead, he said, they deserve support and respect. In August 2024, Meghan gave another glimpse

03:19into how difficult those early years were. In an interview on CBS Sunday Morning, she said that she hadn't even

03:25begun to scratch the surface when it came to the amount of online bullying she endured.

03:30Later that fall, health advocate Larissa May spoke about Meghan's experience as an example of just how

03:35intense and unfair online criticism can be. Prince Harry's appearance at the summit is just the latest

03:42example of how the couple is using their platform to advocate for safer and more supportive digital

03:48spaces. They've focused on encouraging thoughtful conversations, promoting media literacy, and

03:54helping people, especially young people, understand the impact of what they post and share.

03:59What stood out most during Harry's speech, though, was his unwavering support for Meghan.

04:04He spoke with clarity and calm as he reminded the audience that behind every online comment is a real

04:10person. Meghan, in his eyes, has always shown strength and grace, even in the face of relentless online

04:17commentary. And he believes that her willingness to be open about her struggles should be celebrated,

04:23not used against her. In a time when many still feel pressured to present only the most polished

04:29version of themselves, Meghan has taken the more vulnerable path, choosing to share the messy human

04:35side of her experience. And Harry is encouraging the world to honor that. We need to do better,

04:41he said at the summit. We need to treat each other better online. And off.

04:45With their continued focus on digital well-being, family life in California, and ongoing charitable

04:51work, Harry and Meghan are showing that even after stepping away from official royal roles,

04:56they are still committed to service. And as Harry made clear in New York, part of that service is

05:02standing up for the people he loves, and for the idea that honesty, empathy, and kindness should define

05:09our digital world. Not hate.

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