THIS AIN’T NO FAIRY TALE; Interview with Meghan Markle

BY RALPH BRYANT

Like so many people, I was shocked, but not surprised, by the interview with Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, with Oprah Winfrey, detailing their struggles inside the royal family. It is a devastating account of bullying, the negative side of social media, and racism. It is also a reminder that money and fame are not enough to insulate yourself from mental illness.

During her interview, Meghan Markle talks about her lowest point, “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore. I thought it would have solved everything for everyone.” That is an incredible revelation to think that a beautiful, accomplished woman – a star in her own right – would be treated so shockingly that she would think committing suicide would be a better option.

Who knew I would have something in common with a Duchess, but it is true. Many times in my life I felt the same way; better off dead. According to a study by the Government of Canada, 11.8% of people think about committing suicide. These are people that, like me, are struggling with the difficulties of daily life. Now, imagine living in what is literally a fairy tale setting and what should be the happiest time of your life, and it turning into such a nightmare that someone would walk away from all of it.

You hear some critics say Meghan Markle should have known she was marrying into a family whose sole existence is to be fodder for the media hordes of Britain, and are brutal and relentless on a good day. However, how could anyone really prepare himself or herself for the onslaught that made her leave England? Now, add to that the invasions of her privacy, to which she won a case against the Mail newspaper, calling the newspaper’s practices “illegal and dehumanizing.” Not to mention, the claims of racism against the British press, speaking out about headlines such as “Gangster Royalty.”

Perhaps the most disturbing allegation is that members of the royal family were inquiring about what color the children might be. For anyone to have asked that question is, excuse the pun, beyond the pale.  Meghan Markle might understand that better than anyone. She described herself as “more than an other” when talking about her own mixed-race identity back in 2015.

And let’s be clear, telling Meghan Markle that she should have known what to expect from the sensationalized treatment of the British press, is yet another example of blaming the victim. This is something that women experience far too often. However, this is not a case of “he said, she said” or played out in the privacy of Buckingham Palace. Much of her abuse has taken place in the public eye, in the harshest light possible, but that is a long way from being “the most trolled person in the world, as Meghan Markle described herself on World Mental Health Day. “There is a difference between being rude and being racist,” she said during the interview.

It doesn’t matter whether you are young or old, rich or poor, from the hood of Compton, or a fairy princess from England, no one is immune from struggling with mental illness. We also cannot discount the impact of troll culture on social media and a media culture that is more focused on click bait than on humanity. We should be demanding that all people who suffer in this society be treated with the respect that everyone deserves, no matter whether you are Cinderella or a Duchess.