Celebrities are coming out to defend Meghan Markle from the critics who wonder why she wrote about a very personal experience when she's claiming a need for privacy. The Duchess of Sussex revealed she miscarried her second baby with Prince Harry in July in an op-ed piece in the New York Times on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
Commenters on social media accused the Duchess of Sussex of craving attention. Some pointed out that Meghan and Prince Harry gave up their royal duties in exchange for "privacy."
The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil posted on Twitter that people who have experienced miscarriage "need to know they aren't alone." Jamil called out Meghan's critics as enablers of the "culture of silence," who allow misinformation, shame, and guilt to continue.
Comedienne Yvette Nicole Brown said that Meghan's op-ed piece serves as a "blessing" to those who have gone through the same thing because they know they are not alone. Monica Lewinsky also stated that a private pain revealed in public might not help the critics, but it will help someone else.
Mulan voice actress and Agents of the SHIELD star Ming-Na Wen shared that women do not open about their miscarriage even if it happens in one in four pregnancies. As someone who had a miscarriage as well, Wen thanked Meghan for opening up about something that is common knowledge but "very few want to talk about it."
Fertility doctor Zev Williams said that, when public figures like Meghan share their experience, it helps break the stigma. Speaking with USA Today, Williams commended the Duchess of Sussex's bravery. The expert also expressed hope that Meghan's heartfelt essay will bring comfort for many couples who have lost a baby.
But, Meghan is not the only member of the British royal family to experience a miscarriage in recent times. Prince Harry's cousin and the Queen's eldest granddaughter, Zara Phillips Tindall, suffered two times in 2016 and 2018. Sophie, the Countess of Wessex and the Queen's daughter-in-law through her marriage to Prince Edward, also lost their first child in 2001 due to an ectopic pregnancy.
Prince Edward had to inform the press of his wife's life-threatening condition to reporters waiting outside the hospital. Zara, who is married to former pro rugby player Mike Tindall, talked about their loss in an interview with the Sunday Times.
The Tindalls have a rainbow baby, Lena, now two years old. Sophie and Prince Edward now have two teenage kids, Lady Louis and James, Viscount Severn. However, Zara and the Wessexes did not receive any criticisms for revealing their personal experiences.
