The Duchess of Sussex has said she was cyber-bullied while she was pregnant with her children Archie and Lilibet during the annual SXSW Conference.
At the event Meghan, 42, explained most of the online hate she experienced happened while she was pregnant with her two young children.
She said: “I keep my distance from it right now for my wellbeing but the bulk of the bullying and abuse I was experiencing in social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and with Lili, and with a newborn, with each of them.
“You just think about that and to wrap your head about why people would be so hateful. It's not catty it's cruel.
“Why you would do that when you're pregnant or as a mom at such a tender and sacred time.”
She added: “You could succumb to it, or nearly succumb to how painful that is. Or maybe because I was pregnant that mammalian instinct just kicks in to do everything you can to protect your child and as a result protect yourself too.”
The former Suits actress also encouraged people to use their voice “to advocate for what is right” during a discussion on the importance of representation in media and entertainment.
Meghan led a keynote speech on Friday titled Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On And Off The Screen which marked International Women’s Day, alongside speakers including US actress Brooke Shields.
“Your voice is not small, it just needs to be heard,” former Suits actress Meghan said, during the annual SXSW Conference.
Watch today's #SXSW Keynote Session with Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, @katiecouric, @BrookeShields, @nancywyuen, and @errinhaines LIVE on @YouTube at 1pm CT. https://t.co/TT5Jjp2Gk7 pic.twitter.com/BfDUef0El2
— SXSW (@sxsw) March 8, 2024
In an earlier session, Modern Family star Julie Bowen revealed that the Duke of Sussex was also present at the event in Austin, Texas.
Meghan’s appearance comes as the Princess of Wales recovers from abdominal surgery in the UK, and Kate’s maternal uncle Gary Goldsmith appears on Celebrity Big Brother.
During his five days on the ITV reality show, Goldsmith told his housemates that Meghan put a “stick in the spokes” when she was first introduced to the royal family, creating “so much drama that I don’t generally think is there”.
The keynote speech was presented by Meghan and Harry’s The Archewell Foundation and The 19th, the national nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.
