Following the publication of a negative piece in Vanity Fair that accused Meghan Markle of engaging in "bullying" and "mean girl" behavior, she has recently been subjected to an increased level of scrutiny.
According to Page Six, royal writer Neil Sean disclosed that former coworkers at Spotify referred to the Duchess of Sussex as "Eva," a reference to the manipulative character from the film "Queen Bee," which was released in 1955 and starred Joan Crawford.
He stated, "Ex-staff members... told me they decided to christen her 'Eva' and this was used as a warning signal to let people know that she was either arriving or on the warpath."
Sean continued saying that it "wasn't an engaging pet nickname," elaborating that it "came from the 1955 camp classic 'Queen Bee' starring the ultimate diva... herself - Joan Crawford... This is because, like the Joan character [Eva Phillips], she stung her victims to pieces. This is exactly how staff felt about working alongside [Meghan]."
During the period that Meghan was working on the Archetypes podcast on Spotify, she became known by this nickname, despite the fact that she was probably unaware of its existence.
Following the publication of the cover article for Vanity Fair, which revealed the lifestyles of Meghan and Prince Harry in California, Sean made his comments shortly after the publication.
He pointed out that the story did not mention a lot of difficulties that occurred behind the scenes, and he stated that the crew found Meghan difficult to deal with because of her mood swings and her demanding manner.
Sources reported that Meghan insisted on speaking exclusively with top executives, emphasizing her royal status. This first attracted her coworkers, but it quickly became a hardship as her demands increased.
Furthermore, Sean mentioned that Prince Harry was also the target of behind-the-scenes gossip, acquiring the nickname "Tim Nice But Dim," which is a reference to a character from a British television show. Sources stated that Prince Harry, like Meghan, was unfamiliar with this moniker.
Meghan was described as initially "warm and effusive," which fostered a sense of camaraderie, according to many former staffers who shared their experiences with Vanity Fair when they were interviewed.
According to reports, Meghan's temperament shifted when things went wrong, which was frequently the result of the couple's own expectations. As a result, she transformed into someone who was "cold and withholding" toward others whom she blamed.
According to The Blast, it was stated by Kinsey Schofield, the host of the podcast "To Di For Daily," that Meghan would "love-bomb" people who aligned with her vision, but she would ostracize anyone who departed from it. This indicates her alignment with the allegations made about her behavior.
Schofield stated that the charges of bullying that occurred during Meghan's time as a working royal were most likely accurate. She also mentioned that former colleagues felt obliged to disclose their tales after Meghan's interview on Oprah in 2021.
According to insiders close to the Sussexes, the pair found the allegations "distressing," particularly in light of Prince Harry's legal challenges in the United Kingdom and the suspension of Meghan's Netflix program. The publication of the piece in Vanity Fair led to this revelation.
The couple's close friends and acquaintances reported that the article made an already tough situation much more difficult for them, making an already challenging period even harder.
Business Times has reached out to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's representatives for comments.
