Meghan Markle Shares Why She Spoke Out About Her Suicidal Thoughts
Meghan Markle is giving insight into her decision to speak out.
For the first time since opening up about feeling suicidal while pregnant with her and Prince Harry’s son Archie, 5, in an explosive 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, the Duchess of Sussex revealed why she decided to share her story.
“When you’ve been through any level of pain or trauma, part of our healing journey—certainly part of mine—is being able to be really open about it,” Meghan told CBS Sunday Morning’s Jane Pauley in the interview broadcast Aug. 4. “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 plans, and I would never want someone else to not be believed.”
It was this experience that ultimately led to Meghan and Harry’s Archewell Foundation championing a new initiative called The Parents Network to give a voice to parents who have lost children to online abuse and misinformation. After all, as parents to Archie and daughter Lilibet, 3, the duo are passionate about helping families navigating internet pitfalls.
And part of that help involves being open about their own struggles. Meghan, 43, added that she was willing to take on the backlash if her story could help just one person.
“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’s OK, then that’s worth it,” she noted. “I’ll take a hit for that.”
When originally sharing her story with Oprah, the Suits alum admitted that she struggled with telling Harry about her dark thoughts.
“I was really ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry, especially, because I know how much loss he’s suffered,” Meghan said of the youngest son of the late Princess Diana. “But I knew that if I didn’t say it, I would do it. I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
And for Harry, that marked a breaking point where he decided he needed to protect his family—no matter the cost to his royal life, which has included estrangement with his father, King Charles III, older brother, Prince William, and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.
"My biggest concern was history repeating itself, and I've said that before on numerous occasions, very publicly,” he explained. “And what I was seeing was history repeating itself, but more, perhaps—or definitely far more dangerous, because then you add race in and you add social media in."
If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.