MEGHAN Markle opened up about online bullying and vowed she never wants someone to feel the way she did, in a new sit-down interview with Prince Harry.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke to Jane Pauley on the CBS Sunday Morning show about their new project, to help support parents who have lost a child to online harm, launching today.
It comes three years after the pair’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in which Meghan revealed her own mental health struggles and thoughts of suicide.
The couple have today rolled out The Parents Network, which connects families who have lost a child to suicide after being a victim of online bullying.
I haven’t really scraped the surface of my experience, but I do think I would never want someone else to feel that way, or for someone else to make those sort plans, or for someone else to not be believed
Meghan Markle
Speaking in their CBS sit-down talk aired today, Harry said: “That’s the scariest thing, it could happen to anybody..
“We always talk about ‘in the olden days’ if you’re children were under your roof they would be safe, you knew what they were up to.
“But now they can be in the next room on their tablet, going down rabbit holes. And before you know it, 24 hours later, they take their life.”
Meghan then beamed as she spoke about her children Archie, five, and three-year-old Lilibet.
The proud mum-of-two said: “Our kids are young, they’re three and five, they’re amazing.
“But all you want to do as parents is protect them.
“And so as 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.”
The duchess was also about her own struggles, after she shared her story in 2021 and told Oprah in the past she “didn’t want to be alive anymore”.
She replied: “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.
“I haven’t really scraped the surface of my experience, but I do think I would never want someone else to feel that way, or for someone else to make those sort plans, or for someone else to not be believed.
“If me voicing what I have overcome will save someone or encourages someone in their life to really genuinely check in on them, and not assume if the appearance is good, then everything is okay, then that’s worth it, I will take a hit for that.”
“I think you have to start somewhere, look at it through the lens of ‘what if that was my son, or my daughter’,” Meghan added.
“If you look at it through the lens of being a parent, you know there is no other solution.”
Jane Pauley highlighted how when children ask for help, people hope there is someone who can provide it.
Harry responded: “If you know how to help… At this point we’ve got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder.
“Even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to tell the signs of possible suicide.
“That is the terrifying piece of this.”
The parents group will meet mainly online and help support parents who have lost children to suicide and online harm.
A CBS spokesperson said: “The Duke and Duchess sat down with ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ host Jane Pauley last week for an exclusive interview to introduce a program aimed at supporting parents whose children have been impacted by online harm.
“Jane also spoke with parents participating in the pilot program who described how it has helped their healing process.”
Harry and Meghan called for an urgent change to “keep our children safe” on social media in February this year.
The Sussexes had heard the “heartache” of parents amid the US Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing regarding online child safety.
The parents-of-two said that even the “best parenting in the world cannot keep children safe from these platforms”.
In a statement on their Archewell website, the couple said the issue transcended division and party lines and this is “not the time to pass the buck of responsibility”.
Alongside their message, the duke and duchess released a clip of their appearance at a World Mental Health Day discussion in New York on October 10 last year.
The pair said: “We applaud the bravery and determination of the thousands of parents around the country whose advocacy resulted in this hearing.
“Over the past few years we have spent time with many of these families, listening to their heartache and their hopes for the urgent change that is needed in the online space.
“This is an issue that transcends division and party lines, as we saw today at the Senate hearing. The best parenting in the world cannot keep children safe from these platforms.”
They added: “As one of the fathers shared with us: ‘If love could have saved them, all of our children would still be here’.
“This is not the time to pass the buck of responsibility. It’s the time to make necessary change at the source to keep our children safe.”
The Archewell Foundation said it is working with families to provide a support network for those dealing with grief or those whose children have serious mental health conditions as a result of their exposure to harmful online content.
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
