Meghan Markle Says She Hasn’t “Scraped the Surface” in Discussing Her Suicidal Thoughts
In a recent CBS interview, Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, hard launched The Parents’ Network, an initiative to make the online world a better place.
For Markle, a member of the British royal family, the experience hits close to home.
She previously opened up about her mental health struggles in a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. “I was ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry. But I knew that if I didn’t say it—then I would do it. I just didn’t want to be alive anymore,” she disclosed, describing the heavy emotional toll of royal life.
Three years later, the Duchess of Sussex, who played Rachel Zane in Suits, is sharing more insights into her thoughts of self-harm in a segment that aired on her 43rd birthday.
“When you’ve been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey, certainly part of mine, is being able to be really open about it,” she said.
“I haven’t really scraped the surface on my experience. But I do think that I would never want someone else to feel that way. And I would never want someone else to be making those sort of plans. And I would never want someone else to not be believed.”
The subject remains sensitive, but she is open to discussing it if it helps others.
“If me voicing what I have overcome will save someone, or encourage someone in their life to really genuinely check in on them, and not assume that the appearance is good so everything is ok, then that’s worth it. I’ll take a hit for that,” she added.
As parents to Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, the couple know a thing or two about wanting to protect their littles, both of whom are growing up in the social media age.
“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,” Meghan said. “I think you have to start somewhere,” she added.
Meghan also encouraged viewers to “look at it through the lens of ‘What if it was my daughter? What if it was my son?’” Adding, “If you look at it through the lens as a parent, there’s no way to see that any other way than to try to find a solution.”
After a two-year pilot run, the program is now available to parents in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
