Meghan Markle is opening up about the trolling she's received online.
The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry had a candid conversation about their experiences during an episode of Teenager Therapy for World Mental Health Day.
During the conversation, Meghan acknowledged that while the internet can be a great place for connection it can also be a place of disconnection. She then looked back at when she was on maternity leave with her now 17-month-old son Archie Harrison.
"I'm told that in 2019 I was the most trolled person in the entire world, male or female," she said. "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 you're 25, if people are saying things about you that are untrue, what that does to your mental and emotional health is so damaging."
Even though Meghan noted that the couple's experiences may seem very different than their followers', "it's still a human experience and that's universal."
"We all know what it feels like to have our feelings hurt," she said. "We all know what it feels like to be isolated or othered."
As for Harry, he said he doesn't read the negativity and tries to "remove" himself from that.
This wasn't the first time Meghan had publicly discussed the struggles she's experienced. In the 2019 documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, the duchess was asked about the pressure she'd been under.
"Look, any woman, especially when they're pregnant, you're really vulnerable and so that was made really challenging," she said at the time. "And then when you have a newborn, you know...and especially as a woman, it's really, it's a lot. So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed it's…Yeah, I guess, and also thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I'm OK, but it's a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes."
The interviewer had then asked if it would be fair to say that she's "not really OK" and that "it's really been a struggle?" Meghan then replied, "Yes."
Meghan reflected on this time during the podcast when the host asked how she's feeling today.
"Isn't that funny? It was about a year ago this time that someone asked me that," she said. "We were on a tour in South Africa, and on the last day of the tour, man, I was tired. I was just about to give Archie a bath. I was exhausted."
Harry then noted Meghan was still breastfeeding at the time. "Oh yeah, well, so a lot of people don't, you know, know that's like running a marathon. So, between every official engagement, I was running back to make sure our son was fed. It was a lot," she said. "But at the very end, the journalist asked me, 'Well, are you OK?' and I didn't realize that my answer would receive such an interest from around the world. Because I said, 'Well, thanks, people never really ask me if I am OK.'"
Meghan then noted she "didn't think about that answer" and that she "just answered honestly."
"Because I was in a moment of vulnerability, because I was tired, because there was no presentation, it was just, here's where I am. I am a mom who is with a four-and-a-half-month-old baby and we are tired. But I think it speaks to the fact that the reason it resonated with people is because everyone wants to be asked if they are OK," she said. "And so I would say, today I am doing very well, thank you for asking."
She also discussed how it "picked up" on this "idea of not feeling heard or, for moms, not feeling like people are asking about them."
"You have a baby and everyone asks about the baby," she explained. "I actually think that's par for the course and really sweet. But across the world, there was the ripple of 'Ask me if I'm OK.'"
In addition, she said "it resonated for people beyond just the mom community."
"So, a year later, I would say, 'Yes, I am doing well, and the past few months have been layered for everyone. We certainly can't complain. We are fortunate. We all have our health. We have roofs over our heads."
The duo also shared how they practice self-care, such as by meditating or journaling. To listen to their full interview, check out the podcast.