Outspoken model Chrissy Teigen has defended Meghan Markle in a blistering statement ahead of the royal's explosive, tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, claiming the tabloids will not stop attacking the Duchess "until she miscarries".
The mother-of-two shared the scathing comment just days before the contentious interview with Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, is set to air worldwide.
Teigen, who suffered a miscarriage last year, said the treatment of the Duchess in the press was "hitting too close to home".
The royal couple have long been subjected to intense media scrutiny, with Markle in particular becoming a regular fixture in the British tabloids. In 2020, the couple announced they were ending all cooperation with the tabloid press, saying they refused to "offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion". Just last month, Markle won a privacy case against the Mail on Sunday regarding its publication of extracts from a handwritten letter to her estranged father.
Now, the highly-anticipated broadcast marks Harry and Meghan's first sit-down interview since they stepped down as working royals last year to pursue an independent life in America. The interview, marketed as a tell-all talk with "no topic off-limits", is expected to reveal candid details into Harry and Meghan's newfound financial freedom, their notoriously bitter experiences with the British press and the state of their reportedly fractured relationship with the Royal Family.
Sharing her thoughts on Friday (local time), Teigen - who is married to R&B singer John Legend - wrote: "This Meghan Markle s**t is hitting too close to home for me. These people won't stop until she miscarries. F***ing stop it."
Both women suffered miscarriages last year, with Markle - who is currently pregnant with the couple's second child - revealing the trauma of the experience in an op-ed for the New York Times. Teigen also publicly shared her own devastation in a series of candid posts in October.
Harry and Meghan, who now reside in a luxurious California mansion with their one-year-old son Archie, confirmed they had officially split from the Royal Family last month - one year after announcing their decision to step back from royal duties in January 2020.
Why is Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey so controversial?
The interview has received widespread backlash from commentators and critics alike for amplifying an already tumultuous time for Britain's Royal Family. Although the interview was recorded before Prince Philip - the Queen's husband and Harry's grandfather - was hospitalised last month, it's believed the timing of the broadcast will divert attention from the 99-year-old's wellbeing and recovery.
The interview will also be aired amid the fallout of highly-publicised allegations against Markle. In a recent report by The Times' newspaper, it was revealed that a complainant had accused the Duchess of bullying her staff, allegations that are now being investigated by the palace. A spokesperson for Markle said the Duchess was "saddened" by the "latest attack on her character".
It is also rare for the Royal Family, particularly the Queen, to address personal matters on such a public scale. On the odd occasion a royal has spoken about their private life, it has rarely been well-received by Buckingham Palace, and marks a departure from tradition and the accepted protocol.
Another point of controversy is Markle's shocking claim that Buckingham Palace spread "falsehoods" about her and Prince Harry. In an advance clip, Markle tells Winfrey that if speaking out "comes with the risk of losing things", then "there's a lot that's been lost already".
What do we know about the interview?
In the advance clip released by CBS, Markle said she doesn't understand how she and Harry could be expected to remain silent after "The Firm" - a term referring to the Royal Family - peddled lies about the couple.
"I don't know how they could expect that, after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us," she said.
In another clip from the interview, Prince Harry draws a parallel between the media's treatment of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and his wife. He says he feared "history was repeating itself" before the couple made the decision to step back as senior royals.
Harry and Meghan's much-anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey will be broadcast for Kiwi audiences on Tuesday, March 9, at 7:30pm on Three.
