Women in the media are speaking out about what it's like to be in the public eye after a short clip from an upcoming documentary revealed a vulnerable moment by the Duchess of Sussex.
During one part of the doc, "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey" (which premieres in the U.S. on ABC on Wednesday), Meghan Markle shares how negative press attention, especially while she was pregnant, has weighed on her. Journalist Tom Bradby spoke with Meghan about the recent announcement of the Sussexes' litigation against British tabloids; in his statement, Prince Harry likened the media's treatment of Meghan to that of his late mother, Princess Diana.
In the clip, Meghan tells Bradby, "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." Bradby asks the Duchess if it's fair to say that she's not OK and that it's been a struggle, to which she simply replies, "Yes" while looking particularly dejected.
"Any woman, especially when they're pregnant, you're really vulnerable, [so] that was made really challenging," Meghan shared. "And then when you have a newborn [...] you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or a newlywed."
The documentary also reveals that Meghan was warned against the British press and how marrying Prince Harry would affect her in exactly this way.
"When I first met my now-husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy, but my British friend said to me, 'I'm sure he's great, but you shouldn't do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life,'" she told Bradby.
Women like actress Lili Reinhart, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, journalist Katie Couric and "Dancing With the Stars" pro Peta Murgatroyd shared their own sentiments on social media defending not only Meghan, but the issue as a whole that women are continuously put down in the press once they enter the public eye and how the consequences that stem from it are harmful.
Perhaps one of the more interesting women to speak out was anti-bullying activist Monica Lewinsky, former White House intern who was infamously caught up in a scandal with former President Bill Clinton. It's fair to say that Lewinsky's reputation has yet to fully recover, and she represents one of the most polarizing examples of how consistent, negative press attention targets and condemns women.
Meghan and Harry's "war" on the press has long been simmering, but Meghan's ability to be strong in her vulnerability has seemed to unite those who understand her plight and how damaging this type of attention can become.