Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, says she was the ‘most trolled person in the entire world in 2019’
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The Duchess of Sussex has told a teen podcast how she struggled with being trolled on the internet, an issue many teens face on a regular basis, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic when people are more isolated.
“I’m told that in 2019 I was the most trolled person in the entire world-male or female,” she said in an interview she gave with her husband, Prince Harry, to Teenage Therapy Podcast to raise awareness for World Mental Health Day Saturday.
“Now eight months of that I wasn’t even visible. I was on maternity leave or with a baby but what was able to just be manufactured and churned out, it’s almost unsurvivable. That’s so big you can’t even think about what that feels like because I don’t care if you’re 15 or 25 if people are saying things about you that aren’t true what that does to your mental and emotional health is so damaging.”
Teenage Therapy Podcast is hosted by a group five teenage friends based in California. “In honor of World Mental Health Day, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sat down with us for a conversation about prioritizing mental health, removing the stigma around the issue, and how we can all contribute to a healthier world: physically, mentally, emotionally, holistically,” according to a post on the group’s Instagram account.
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Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are pictured during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, which aired in the United States in March 2021. It was their first sit-down appearance since leaving Britain last year.
Meghan celebrates her son's first birthday with a reading of the children's book "Duck! Rabbit!" in May 2020. In a video posted online -- and filmed by her husband -- Meghan read to Archie from the popular book and encouraged fans to donate to a number of causes aimed at helping young people.
Harry and Meghan attend the Endeavour Fund Awards in London in March 2020.
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Meghan and Harry visit the Canada House in London in January 2020. The couple announced the next day that they would be stepping back from their roles as senior members of the British royal family.
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Meghan and Harry visit a community center in Windsor, England, in November 2019.
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The couple attends the annual Festival of Remembrance in November 2019.
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Harry and Meghan attend a pre-ceremony reception for the WellChild Awards in October 2019.
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Meghan is photographed during a royal tour of South Africa in October 2019.
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu kisses Archie, Meghan and Harry's son, in September 2019.
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Harry and Meghan dance during their royal tour of South Africa in September 2019.
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Meghan holds Archie during the South African tour.
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Harry and Meghan greet singer Beyoncé and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, as they attend the European premiere of the film "The Lion King" in July 2019.
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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone presents the couple with a jersey for Archie before a Major League Baseball game in London in June 2019.
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Queen Elizabeth II looks at her new great-grandchild, Archie, in May 2019. Prince Philip is on the far left. Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, is next to her at right.
Meghan and Harry walk past tapestries during a visit to Rabat, Morocco, in February 2019.
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Meghan and Harry attend a Christmas Day church service in December 2018. With them, from left, are Prince Charles; Prince William; and William's wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. Harry and William are the two sons of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.
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Meghan and Harry cheer on sailors during the Invictus Games in Australia in October 2018.
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The couple talks to members of OneWave, an awareness group for mental health and well-being, in Sydney in October 2018.
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Meghan and Harry pose with the cast and crew of the musical "Hamilton" after a performance in London in August 2018. Harry gave those in the theater something to remember after breaking into mock-song at the end of the show. The show was held to raise money for his HIV charity, Sentebale.
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Members of the royal family watch a flyover during a July 2018 event marking the centenary of the Royal Air Force. From left are Prince Charles; Prince Andrew; Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall; Queen Elizabeth II; Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex; Prince Harry; Prince William; and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.
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Meghan and Harry attend the Royal Ascot horse races in June 2018.
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The couple poses with family members after getting married in May 2018.
The couple watches Coach Core apprentices take part in a training exercise in Birmingham, England, in March 2018. The Coach Core apprenticeship scheme was designed by the Royal Foundation to train young people to become sports coaches and mentors within their communities.
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Harry and Meghan join Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, during a Royal Foundation Forum in February 2018.
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The couple watches a dance class during a visit to Cardiff, Wales, in January 2018.
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The couple meets well-wishers during an appearance in London in January 2018.
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A shop worker in Windsor, England, adjusts memorabilia celebrating the engagement of Harry and Meghan. Their engagement was announced in November 2017.
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Meghan flashed her engagement ring to reporters during a November 2017 photo call. The ring, designed by Harry, featured a large diamond from Botswana and two smaller outer diamonds from the personal collection of Harry's late mother.
Meghan and Harry made their first public appearance as a couple at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September 2017. The pair were introduced in July 2016 by mutual friends in London.
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Harry and Meghan embrace at a polo match in May 2017.
“We cannot emphasize enough how honored we are to be able to bring you this important conversation. We hope you enjoy it and find something you can apply to your own life. Take care of yourself, you deserve to be loved.”
The couple sat down with the teens in person to record the episode and they were all seen wearing masks in a picture on group’s social media accounts. Meghan spoke more about isolation and online bullying. “Even though our experience is unique to us and obviously can seem very different to what people experience on the day to day, it’s still a human experience and that’s universal.
“We all know what it feels like to have our feelings hurt. We all know what it feels like to be isolated or othered. And I think that’s why the work you guys are doing here is so important … that people know there’s someone to talk to. You’re not alone in any of it. We’re all figuring it out.”
Prince Harry said that vulnerability is not a weakness, but a sign of strength and how it’s important to talk about experiences. “It’s very easy to be sucked in and consumed by negativity but we all have a choice to be able to cut that out of our lives. Hate-following has become a thing. We don’t need to do that … for me I made the choice not to read it, not to see it and to remove myself from that and to very much focus on the uplifting and hopeful side which most of that I get from your generation.” He added that meditation also helps him.
According to the World Health Organization, “World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.”
In January, Harry and Meghan announced that they were “stepping back” from their roles of members of the British royal family, and would split time between the UK and North America. The news became a worldwide story and sent shock waves through Britain.
