LISTEN UP

Meghan Markle Says She Shouldn’t Be Vilified for Being ‘Particular’

She discussed the stereotyping of Black women as “angry” in the new episode of her podcast.

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Meghan Markle, who has been accused of bullying and demanding behavior by her former staff, now admits that she was “particular” but says people shouldn’t be criticized as “demanding” for clearly stating what they need.

The remarks, made in the seventh episode of her podcast that dropped Tuesday, will be interpreted in some quarters as a strike back against palace insiders who alleged to Valentine Low, in his new book Courtiers, that Meghan had on occasion reduced staff to tears by bullying them.

In the podcast, titled, “Upending the ‘Angry Black Woman Myth’ with Issa Rae & Ziwe,” Markle said that search engines auto fill the phrase, “Why are Black women so…” with words such as “loud,” “mean” and ”angry.”

She said this was a case of machines “trying to guess your thoughts, maybe shape your thoughts…these were the seeds being planted.”

Talking to the Nigerian-American talk show host, comedian and activist, Ziwe, Meghan said that her genealogy showed she was 43 percent Nigerian.

In a conversation with Issa Rae, Markle suggested that the entertainment business promoted negative stereotypes of Black women, saying: “I remember when I was auditioning (for) Black roles, and I remember those casting sheets, where the description of the character—she always had to have an edge or an attitude.”

Markle said that she often found herself “cowering and tiptoeing into a room” over fears she could not speak her mind without being judged.

“The thing I find the most embarrassing is when you’re saying a sentence and the intonation goes up, like it’s a question. And you’re like, ‘Oh my God, stop! Stop whispering and tiptoeing around it. Just say what it is that you need. You’re allowed to set a boundary. You’re allowed to be clear, that does not make you demanding. It does not make you difficult. It makes you clear.”

She added: “I’m particular… a high tide raises all ships, we’re all going to succeed so let’s make sure it’s really great because its a shared success for everybody.”

The podcast closed out with a recording of Maya Angelou reading her famous poem, “Still I Rise.”

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Tom SykesEuropean Editor at Large

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