Why Meghan Markle Skipped the 2023 Gracie Awards

Last night, Meghan Markle was recognized for her work on her podcast, Archetypes. The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation's annual Gracie Awards named the Duchess of Sussex the top entertainment podcast host.

"Thank you to the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation for this prestigious honor," Meghan said in a statement when the award was first announced. "This is a shared success for me and the team behind Archetypes – most of whom are women – and the inspiring guests who joined me each week."

Archetypes had twelve episodes in its first season, with guests including Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, and Mindy Kaling. There's no news yet whether or not the podcast will return for a second season. In the final episode of season one, Meghan said, "We're working on other ways to keep the conversation going, but just know that as we close out this season of Archetypes, that I thank you. Thank you for listening and learning with me. This has been liberating and healing and it's been fun."

However, Meghan was not there during the ceremony to accept her award.

Last week, Meghan, Prince Harry, and Meghan's mom had what was described as a "scary" incident with paparazzi in New York City. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's spokesperson described the event as a "near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi."

The incident occurred after Meghan accepted a "Women of Vision" award from the Ms. Foundation. In her speech, the Duchess of Sussex said, "The narrative on repeat that surrounded me allowed me to recognize that part of my greater value and purpose in life was to advocate for those who felt unheard, to stand up to injustice, and to be not afraid of saying what you know is true, and what is just, and what is right."

It is unclear if she was ever planning to attend this week's ceremony, or if her absence was a change, following what happened in New York.

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