Meghan Markle's strength has been praised by fans after footage from a recent interview of the duchess discussing the mental health "trauma" she says she experienced in the years since her marriage into the royal family has been widely shared on social media.
Meghan took part in a joint interview with Prince Harry for CBS Sunday Morning which aired on the duchess' 43rd birthday on August 4, in which the couple launched their new charitable output, the Archewell Foundation Parent's Network.
The network has been established to support parents as their children navigate and experience the sometimes harmful effects of social media, drawing on a collaboration with parents whose children have ended their own lives as a result of online harm.
Uploaded to TikTok by user meghmarkle, footage of Meghan responding to a question about her own experience with suicidal thoughts has provoked an outpouring of support from fans.
Meghan first revealed that she had considered ending her own life during her pregnancy with her first child, Prince Archie, in 2019, as part of her interview with Oprah Winfrey two years later.
The duchess said she had almost been pushed to take drastic action after the hostility directed at her by the tabloid press and social media users.
"When you've been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey, certainly part of mine, is being able to be really open about it," Meghan told CBS anchor Jane Pauley.
In the TikTok footage, Meghan is heard explaining how she has not yet fully addressed the "pain" or "trauma" she experienced at that point in her life.
"You know, I haven't really scraped the surface on my experience," she said. "But I do think that I would never want someone else to feel that way. And I would never want someone else to be making those sort of plans. And I would never want someone else to not be believed.
"If me voicing what I have overcome will save someone, or encourage someone in their life to really genuinely check in on them and not assume that the appearance is good, so everything's okay, then that's worth it. I'll take a hit for that."
The TikTok post has received numerous comments from fans praising Meghan for her strength and candor.
"So incredibly proud of her!" wrote one user.
"You're so strong," posted another, with a further comment reading: "Strongest woman around. Think what you will about Meg but she will forever be the light in someone's darkness❤️."
Since splitting from the monarchy with Prince Harry in 2020 and moving to the U.S., Meghan has put mental health advocacy at the forefront of her philanthropic output, alongside raising awareness for social justice causes and the empowerment of women and girls.
Through the Archewell Foundation, both the duchess and Harry have contributed to research and engaged with communities. In October 2023, to mark World Mental Health Day, they held the "Archewell Foundation Parents' Summit: Mental Wellness in a Digital Age," in which they discussed the subjects that have informed their new Parent's Network.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
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