Meghan Markle Says She's "One of the Most Bullied People in the World" During Another Solo-Appearance
The Duchess of Sussex got candid while speaking to a group of young girls about social media.
Meghan Markle opened up about her experience with online bullying during another solo-appearance in honor of the International Day of the Girl.
On Oct. 2, the Duchess of Sussex surprised a group of young girls during a visit to the Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, assisting with a new digital-wellness program called Social Media U. The group recently partnered with #HalfHerStory, a nonprofit organization focused on improving teens' relationship with technology, with the goal of taking the program nationwide.
Now, in a recent Vanity Fair story published on Friday, Oct. 11, #HalfHerStory founder Larissa May is giving royal fans some insight into what Markle said during her solo-visit.
"We did an activity where we talked through a bunch of scenarios, and Meghan talked about being one of the most bullied people in the world," May told the publication at the time.
"We had girls wave these little emoji signs and talk about how each one of these scenarios would have impacted them emotionally," she added.
Meghan Markle walks with teens while wearing a blue shirt and white pants.
As Marie Claire previously reported, during the afternoon visit Markle wore a J.crew blue button-up shirt with a contrasting white collar from the brand's collaboration with French designer Marie Marot.
The Duchess of Sussex matched the chic top with a pair of wide-leg white trousers that were cinched with a brown leather belt.
According to May, the goal of the afternoon was to "create a space of vulnerability" that allowed the teens to speak on certain, potentially dangerous or harmful scenarios involving social media and technology use.
"We really wanted to make sure that the teens at #HalfTheStory were able to give their input on the type of experience that we would create," she said. "Ultimately, we thought the best way to do that was to create a space of vulnerability.
"With Stephanie and Meghan, we talked about what it really means to grow up in this digital age," May added.
Meghan Markle with students from Girls Inc.
The surprise visit was not the first time the Duchess of Sussex has opened up about her experience with online bullying. Back in August, while speaking to CBS Sunday Morning during a rare joint interview with her husband Prince Harry, Markle talked about her desire as a mother to protect her own kids from online abuse.
"Our kids are young—they're 3 and 5. They're amazing," Markle told CBS Sunday Morning''s Jane Pauly at the time. "But all you want to do as parents is protect them. So as we can see what's happening in the online space, we know that there's a lot of work to be done there, and we're just happy to be able to be a part of change for good."
Markle and Prince Harry are the proud parents of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
"At this point we’ve got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder," Prince Harry added. "And even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to tell the signs of possible suicide."
