Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, said she would "ask people to tell the truth" if given the chance to rewrite the public narrative surrounding her, in a wide-ranging podcast interview that included veiled criticisms of the British royal family and a defense of her recently resurfaced "Baby Momma Dance" video.
Speaking on the Aspire With Emma Grede podcast released Monday, Markle responded to questions about how her public image has evolved since stepping back from royal duties and moving to California with Prince Harry. "It is very different," Meghan said when asked by Grede how her current fame compares to her earlier years as an actress. When pressed on whether she would change anything about how she is perceived, Markle replied, "Yes, I would ask people to tell the truth."
While she did not specify the subject of her remark, Markle later referenced a "lie" told eight years ago. "My dear friend Serena [Williams]... she says a lie can't live forever. Eight years is a long time but not forever," she said. The comment appeared to allude to events surrounding her entry into the royal family in 2017, including her early interactions with members of the House of Windsor and reported tensions between Prince Harry and Prince William.
Markle's comments echo sentiments shared in her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which she accused the palace of "perpetuating falsehoods" and claimed she had been the target of misleading media narratives. "I don't know how they could expect that, after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us," Markle told Winfrey at the time.
During the podcast, Markle also addressed criticism surrounding a video she posted earlier this month, showing her and Prince Harry dancing to the "Baby Momma Dance" while she was heavily pregnant with daughter Lilibet. The video, which became viral after she uploaded it to Instagram, features the couple dancing in a hospital room, with Markle lifting her maternity dress and "dropping it low."
"That was four years ago," Markle said on the podcast. "It's also a really great reminder that with all the noise or whatever people do, there's still a whole life - a real, authentic, fun life - that's happening behind the scenes."
Grede, a fashion entrepreneur and co-founder of Good American and Skims, responded to the clip's authenticity, saying, "I did a little secret cheer... I wanna see that happiness and that honesty and that 'I don't give a f***' kind of thing."
"I'm just grateful that now, being back on social as well, I have a place where I can share it on my own terms," Markle said, referencing her return to Instagram earlier this year. Her latest post, a Father's Day video featuring previously unseen footage of Prince Harry with their children Archie and Lilibet, marked another milestone in her media re-emergence.
The duchess also discussed her ambitions for her lifestyle brand As Ever and hinted at an eventual foray into fashion. "I think there'll certainly be a time for fashion. You and I can talk about that later," she said.
When asked about imposter syndrome, Markle was resolute. "I don't feel imposter syndrome. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now," she stated. "I don't see the possibility of failure, not when you can learn from everything you've done."
