It’s been over 9 months since Meghan Markle removed any trace of a social media presence without warning. The Duchess of Sussex deleted her personal profiles across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and even her own lifestyle blog, The Tig, on which she was regularly active one chilly day in January.
Though Markle was simply adhering to the rules that any royal with an active working title is forbidden from having their own social media account, the sudden move left a lot of her fans wondering, why now? Why me? Where have you gone, Meghan? Yes, she was obeying her duties as a Duchess, but let’s not make excuses; Meghan ghosted us. The shock hit harder for some more than others, with some fans expressing their outright anger at her abandonment.
I can sympathize with the superfans whose felt as if Meghan had left them out to dry. I’m guessing it’s a feeling very similar to when this British male model suddenly stopped sending me Insta stories because he had moved to Toronto and gotten back together with his ex-girlfriend. Same-same, but different, right? I digress, but it’s true. For many, Meghan’s abrupt departure from her social platforms really felt like the end of a relationship. Yet, just like my steamy male model, she had a good reason to do so.
Let’s hear her out.
During their tour of Australia, the royal darlings visited a local community surfing group, OneWave and spoke with resident Jessina Oakes. All it took was one friendly and open-minded Aussie to see the other side of the situation. Oakes prompted Markle on how she felt post-social-media sobriety, sharing the Duchess’ response with Mail Online. “She said a really beautiful quote,” Jessina told Mail Online. “She said ‘flattery and criticism run through the same filter.’ She said it was very freeing that she no longer has social media.”
Sounds like we can all learn a lesson from Markle, and especially Jessina Oakes. Ghosting doesn’t always involve a f*ckboi. Sometimes it involves a really lovely Duchess just seeking privacy and freedom from the social media spotlight.
Photo: Getty