Meghan Markle reveals “damaging” struggle with media scrutiny

Meghan Markle is going public with the media scrutiny that comes with being the Duchess of Sussex. In an ITV documentary, the royal detailed her struggles against the negative publicity she has been receiving from the British press.

British journalist and author Tom Bradby accompanied Meghan and Prince Harry during their tour in Africa. Throughout the tour, Bradby interviewed the Duke and Duchess for the documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. The feature aired in the United Kingdom on Sunday.

While touring around Africa, Markle got emotional as she revealed how “challenging” it is to deal with being in the spotlight. The duchess revealed to Bradby that her British friends have previously warned her about the intense amount of scrutiny she’ll face from the UK’s tabloid industry when she began dating Prince Harry.

“It’s hard. I don’t think anybody could understand that, but in all fairness, I had no idea,” she told Bradby. “When I first met my now-husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy, but my British friends said to me, ‘I’m sure he’s great, but you shouldn’t do it, because the British tabloids will destroy your life.'”

Markle also pointed out that being an American made her situation even more difficult. “I didn’t get it,” she confessed as she described her relationship with the British press as “complicated.” The Duchess of Sussex then added that it was difficult to juggle her responsibilities as a new mom with the press constantly criticizing her every move.