Meghan Markle after revealing a miscarriage
Meghan Markle sparks debate after revealing miscarriage: 'I thought I wanted privacy'
Because of who she has become in the public imagination, the Duchess of Sussex cannot reveal a deeply personal loss in a New York Times op-ed without facing scrutiny over her motives.
Meghan Markle, the former television actress turned Duchess of Sussex, continues to prove to be one of the most fascinating yet polarizing figures of our current celebrity era.
Meghan Markle on Revealing Miscarriage: Just consider the widely divergent reactions Meghan has received for publishing an opinion piece in the New York Times on Wednesday, in which she dramatically described having suffered a miscarriage in July. While some applauded her strength and courage, others accused her of using a tragedy to her own advantage.
In the op-ed, Prince Harry's US-born wife revealed the intense physical and emotional pain of losing her pregnancy - how she hugged her first-born, Archie, while realizing that she was "losing to the second ”; and the way she later laid down on a hospital bed and kissed her husband's knuckles, "wet with our tears."
For many, the op-ed deserves widespread praise for the way it highlights the "excruciating pain" of miscarriage, which affects 20 out of 100 women. In this way, Meghan's reveal is part of a recent trend in which famous women, including Chrissy Teigen, open up about suffering pregnancy loss. Some on Twitter or in the New York Times comment section said Meghan's words made them cry, and others were motivated to open up about their own miscarriages.
Meghan expanded her article into a more general call for people to show empathy for one another after a year of global pandemic, civil unrest over the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and deep national divisions over facts, science and 'yes'. an election has been won or lost '.
"Sitting on a hospital bed, watching my husband's heart break as he tried to hold up the broken pieces of mine, I realized that the only way to start healing is to first ask, 'Are you okay?'"
As Meghan noted, it's an important question to ask and has been praised for asking for empathy "at a time when everyone has suffered losses of various kinds," as one commenter wrote.
Reactions to Meghan's rehearsal, however, are deeply divided, as she likely knew the events of the past year and the person she has become in the public imagination.
In the last year alone, she and Harry shocked the world by resigning as royalty, moving to the United States, signing a multi-million dollar deal to become Netflix film and television producers, perhaps cooperating on a best-selling book that doled out dirt. about the royal family, buying a mansion in Montecito, preparing to launch a private foundation, and generally setting the stage to use their fame to become rich and influential voices on the world stage.
Critics of the piece are questioning Meghan's motives for revealing something so deeply personal about herself. They see it as a calculator and ask: Why now and what is its angle?
These questions tend to focus on the fact that she and Harry said they wanted to escape the real-life fishbowl to protect their privacy and gain control over media coverage. Meghan is also in the midst of a grueling court case in the UK over her claims that the Daily Mail violated her privacy by publishing parts of a letter she wrote to her father.
"Not all pain should be public knowledge !!" wrote one user. “I thought they wanted privacy, but here they are inviting the world to what should be a private matter. Many moms lose, they don't invite the media to advertise ”. Other similar comments followed.
