Twitter Is Rallying To Defend Meghan Markle After A Wild '60 Minutes' Segment

Since the day she announced her engagement to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle hasn’t been allowed to breathe. The new duchess' every waking moment is under scrutiny, and it's not just her pregnancy or fashion choices. She — and her son — have also received a certain amount of racist comments about being the first person of color to join the royal family. But even given her history, the latest media attack is a new level of nasty, and tweets about the Meghan Markle segment on 60 Minutes Australia immediately defended the Duchess.

On Sept. 4, 60 Minutes Australia tweeted a teaser video for this Sunday’s episode about the duke and duchess of Sussex. The video is only one minute long, but it's jam-packed with Markle criticism, claiming she “wanted a celebrity boyfriend” and “wears bad clothes." It features dramatic background music and action movie-esque title slides. The tweet itself is even more critical: Markle went from “adored to insufferable in less than a year,” 60 Minutes said. Elite Daily reached out to 60 Minutes Australia for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

There’s a lot to unpack here, but first things first, Twitter quickly jumped on Katie Hopkins. She’s a far-right media personality and political commentator based in England, and she’s also the one who thinks Markle has poor fashion sense. According to her interview, she’s seems mad that Markle looks glowing in off-the-shoulder dresses, because “all she does is glow.” Who hurt this woman?

Meghan Markle, a California native and former Suits actress, married Prince Harry in May 2018 to become the Duchess of Sussex. She announced her pregnancy half a year later and gave birth in May 2019. Now that her maternity leave is over, Markle plans to launch a clothing collection on Sept. 12 for the charity Smart Works and help unemployed women find clothing for job interviews, according to Today.

Twitter immediately jumped to the duchess’ defense, asking the press to please just leave her alone. She has been under constant criticism on social media and by the press, most recently for flying on a private jet on vacation with her family. Actresses Mia Farrow and Jameela Jamil were some of those on Markle's side. 60 Minutes Australia did not immediately respond to Elite Daily's request for comment on the criticisms.

The video isn’t concerning just because it reeks of catty gossip and shallow celebrity tabloidisms. Hopkins is no stranger to serious controversy. After the mosque attacks in New Zealand in March 2019, she posted a video calling for a preservation of white culture. In April 2018, she said “young black men can expect to be stopped and searched,” claiming they were responsible for most crimes in London. And she constantly rips apart Mayor Sadiq Khan, referring to his city “Londonistan.” Elite Daily reached out to Hopkins for comment on her remarks, but did not immediately hear back.

Hopkins has recently received even more attention for her exchanges with President Donald Trump. After Trump supporters chanted, “Send her back,” about Rep. Ilhan Omar at his rallies, Hopkins tweeted in support, and he retweeted her back. He's retweeted her on other occasions, too. So, it's not surprising that people were shocked to see 60 Minutes chose to interview her, of all people, to discuss the first biracial royal family member.

In classic traditionalist fashion, the video also invoked Princess Diana, asking “how Diana can save Harry and Meghan’s fairytale future.” Of course, the princess — Prince Harry’s mother — died in 1997 and has nothing to do with Markle. Twitter made sure to defend her as well, remembering that the late princess was often victim to the same type of media mongering.

It's unclear why 60 Minutes Australia is out to get Markle, and plenty of people on Twitter have made it clear they won't be watching to find out anyway. Unfortunately, the program's rhetoric is just another continuation of decades-long media norms, not the exception. Markle has a long, hard royal career ahead of her, but at least she has the internet at her side.