Audra McDonald Defends Meghan Markle Against Online Abuse & Press Intrusion

Amy Mackelden
Photo credit: Gary Gershoff - Getty Images
Photo credit: Gary Gershoff - Getty Images

From Harper's BAZAAR

  • Audra McDonald has shared an Instagram post defending Meghan Markle.

  • Throughout her pregnancy, Meghan has been the target of online abuse.

  • McDonald shared a video of herself when she was pregnant to point out what the Duchess of Sussex is having to deal with.

The online abuse against Meghan Markle has been awful, especially throughout her pregnancy. In January 2019, it was revealed that Kensington Palace had been working to try and eradicate online threats against Meghan and Kate Middleton, but it's far from an easy task.

In fact, the duchess even admitted at an International Women's Day panel that she doesn't look at Twitter or read newspapers at all, presumably in an attempt to avoid racists posts and devastating threats made about her online.

Multiple Tony Award winner Audra McDonald won't stand for the abuse that Meghan has been receiving, and she posted on Instagram defending the royal. Sharing a video, McDonald wrote:

"Me at about 8 months pregnant. The reason I’m posting this is because of #MeghanMarkle. I cannot believe what this woman has had to endure from social media and the press. Then today to read about how 'weird' her body language is by a supposed Women’s magazine that supposedly prides itself on celebrating fierce, independent, strong women who can do anything and have it all?!? Do better."

Me at about 8 months pregnant. The reason I’m posting this is because of #MeghanMarkle. I cannot believe what this woman has had to endure from social media and the press. Then today to read about how “weird” her body language is by a supposed Women’s magazine that supposedly prides itself on celebrating fierce, independent, strong women who can do anything and have it all?!? Do better. When I was 8 months pregnant I touched my belly all the time because it was MY belly and it was MY baby(usually as active as this video) inside, had crazy emotions ranging from elation to depression to rage to uncontrollable fits of laughter. I was a swollen, hot, sweaty, enormous, flatulent, in search of my feet, hot fudge sundae junkie, nervously excited, pudgy faced, waddling goddess. The thought of having to go through all of that plus having a million cameras in my face, bullied left right and center, and still be gracious, elegant, gorgeous, and full of purpose in front of the whole world is unimaginable. Do better. Leave her alone.

A post shared by Audra McDonald (@audramcdonald) on Mar 9, 2019 at 6:22am PST

McDonald continued, "When I was 8 months pregnant I touched my belly all the time because it was MY belly and it was MY baby (usually as active as this video) inside, had crazy emotions ranging from elation to depression to rage to uncontrollable fits of laughter. I was a swollen, hot, sweaty, enormous, flatulent, in search of my feet, hot fudge sundae junkie, nervously excited, pudgy faced, waddling goddess." As the star of The Good Fight makes clear, Meghan's continued commitment to her official role as a royal while pregnant can only have been made all the harder by the online abuse she's been facing.

As McDonald revealed, "The thought of having to go through all of that plus having a million cameras in my face, bullied left right and center, and still be gracious, elegant, gorgeous, and full of purpose in front of the whole world is unimaginable. Do better. Leave her alone." And we couldn't agree more.

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