Meghan Markle's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, alongside her husband Prince Harry, saw her reveal just how much of an impact the past few years of media scrutiny has had.
The Duchess of Sussex revealed she felt suicidal while pregnant with her Archie, now aged 22 months, saying she "didn't want to be alive any more".
It was just one of the shocking moments from the two-hour interview, which also featured the pair discussing racism within the royal family and their move to the US.
After the interview aired on CBS on Sunday evening, a number of the couple’s high-profile friends spoke out. Among them was tennis champion Serena Williams, who has a long-standing friendship with Markle.
“Meghan Markle, my selfless friend, lives her life – and leads by example – with empathy and compassion,” Williams wrote on Instagram. “She teaches me every day what it means to be truly noble. Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she’s experienced.
“I know firsthand the sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people of colour to minimise us, to break us down and demonise us. We must recognise our obligation to decry malicious, unfounded gossip and tabloid journalism. The mental health consequences of systemic oppression and victimisation are devastating, isolating and all too often lethal.”
Amanda Gorman, the poet who stunned the world with her moving recital at US President Joe Biden's inauguration in January, praised Meghan's "strength".
“Meghan is living the life Diana should have, if only those around her had been as brave as she was. Meghan isn’t living a life without pain, but a life without a prison,” she said in a tweet.
"This isn't Meghan's princess 'happy' ending. But sometimes change, the decisions that bring us the most hurt, aren't about happiness, but healing."
She said: "Unclear if this will change the royal family, but Meghan's strength will certainly redefine family everywhere. Think of the women who will be inspired to stand up for their lives, the partners who will be kinder and more courageous than the kin they were born into."
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki praised Markle's strength for opening up over her suicidal thoughts.
"For anyone to come forward and speak about their own struggles with mental health and tell their own personal story, that takes courage," she said on Monday. However, Psaki said the White House would not be commenting on the situation any further, as the couple are "private citizens, sharing their own story and their struggles".
The US had “a strong and abiding relationship with the British people” and “a special partnership” with the British government that will continue, Psaki noted.
Former US Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also spoke out over the interview during a live event with The Washington Post, calling the British tabloid's cruelty towards Markle "outrageous".
“I found it so heart-rending to watch," Clinton said. “You know I've had my time in the box with the British tabloids, as anybody who is in the public eye has had. And their cruelty in going after Meghan was just outrageous and the fact she did not get more support, that the reaction was, 'Let's just paper it over and pretend that it didn't happen or it will go away, just keep your head down.
“This young woman was not about to keep her head down. You know, this is 2021 and she wanted to live her life, she wanted to be fully engaged and she had every right to hope for that."
British actress and presenter Jameela Jamil also criticised the actions of the palace in the run-up to the interview.
“Can we please take a moment to remember how obscene the behaviour of the press and palace was in anticipation of an interview that actually turned out to be quite vague and tame? What did they think Meghan and Harry were going to say? What must they have done to be so afraid?,” she said in a tweet.
The interview was watched by more than 17 million people in the US, while UK viewing figures are yet to be released. The royal family is yet to comment on the contents of the interview.
