Gayle King: Oprah didn’t hook up Tyler Perry’s house for Prince Harry & Meghan

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Gayle King has been getting friendly with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for years. Last year, she visited Frogmore Cottage before Meghan gave birth, and Gayle also did a CBS documentary special about baby Archie and how the British media was growing hysterical over every little thing regarding Meghan. While Gayle did not go after the British media and the silent palace as hard as she could have, she absolutely provided an appropriate counter-narrative to the British media’s “everything Meghan does is the WORST” storyline. I remember that time well – British royal reporters were truly having meltdowns on a daily basis at the very idea that Meghan could have quietly authorized her friends to speak on-camera to Gayle King. The palace even officially denied that the authorization happened. It was a mess.

Anyway, the point is that Gayle King is one of the “friendly” journalists who has the inside track on all things Sussex. King sat down with Entertainment Tonight this week to reflect on the Sussexes’ two-year anniversary and she said some interesting stuff:

It’s been two years since Gayle King and ET’s Kevin Frazier covered the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Windsor, England. Earlier this week, the CBS This Morning co-host reflected on the historic event with Frazier.

“I’ll never forget it either. The weather was perfect, she was gorgeous, they drove right by us on that balcony, we could see them, ‘Hey, Harry and Meghan!'” King recalled to ET. “We had a great shot to see them.”

The 65-year-old journalist, who also attended Meghan’s New York City baby shower, is thrilled for the couple, who left England and relocated to Los Angeles after relinquishing their royal duties. “They’ve got a little baby, Archie, they’re living in the United States, and I think the fairy tale continues for them and it just makes me happy,” King said of Meghan, 38, and Harry, 35.

Though the two are no longer working royals, their wedding day certainly went down in history for a number of reasons, not least of which was the cultural impact of having an interracial couple in the royal family.

“It was interesting that people came from all over the world, certainly the United States for two people that they had never met and probably, let’s be honest, will never meet,” King noted. “But everybody was so excited about the story and for the two of them and for what was to come. It really was, you know, here is Meghan Markle who we know – American number one, biracial number two, and falling in love. …We all as little girls dream of, one day my prince will come. Well, for her he really did come, he really did come and that was very exciting for all of us.”

These days, Meghan, Harry and Archie are living in Tyler Perry’s Beverly Hills mansion, but King denied the reports that her best friend, Oprah Winfrey, was the one to put the couple in touch with the Hollywood heavy hitter.

“Oprah didn’t hook that up. Harry and Meghan know people,” King insisted. “Tyler knows people. Oprah knows people but she did not make that connection for Harry and Meghan to live in Tyler’s house.”

[From ET]

I really don’t think the British tabloid media is conscious of just how racist and out-of-touch they sound to American ears when they stridently claim that Meghan and Harry are “friends with Adele,” “taking advice from Oprah,” “hanging out constantly with father figure David Foster” and whatnot. It’s repeated so often in those tabloids, it becomes “the truth” for certain people, that Oprah is pulling the strings or that Meghan called up Justin Trudeau for this or that. Anyway, I’m glad that Gayle slapped that rumor down. “Harry and Meghan know people. Tyler knows people.” Just my opinion, but I think the British establishment has completely underestimated just how protective Americans are of Meghan. We’ve been watching all the sh-t that went down and I think there are a lot of Americans (powerful Americans) who will do the most to help the Sussexes now that they’re stateside.

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126 Responses to “Gayle King: Oprah didn’t hook up Tyler Perry’s house for Prince Harry & Meghan”

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  1. SJR says:

    Look at Archie in that pic, Hi cutie!
    Don’t care about where they are staying.

    • Ali says:

      I agree.

    • VS says:

      I agree; I hope Archie takes more of his genes from Meghan; his mom is incredibly smart and stunning! but the cutie is looking exactly like his dad

    • Dinah says:

      This story by R.Nikkhah, about Oprah being Harry and Meghan’s fixer and connector to Tyler Perry (‘s LA mansion), was published in The Sunday Times UK, a supposedly serious right-wing newspaper. Needless to say, the British and world media perotted and reprinted the story ever since, as always. The British gossip reporters, such as Nikkhah, Nicholl, Tominey, who were reporters to the British tabloids for years and now have found themselves ‘promoted’ working for the so-called serious broadsheet right-wing British newspapers, such as The (S) Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, and have ‘royal expert’ gigs for foreign magazines and broadcasters in the USA/CA and Australia, really think that their move to the ‘serious media’, have given them and their reporting any credibility.
      Bear in mind, some of them are connected to serious illegal tabloid conducts over the years, like Ms Nicholl, who is (allegedly) deeply linked with the ongoing phone hacking court case, the scandal Harry is taking her former paper The Sun to court for. These arrogant bitches still are gossip reporters with the same disgusted, poor journalistic skills; they don’t care too much about reporting facts, the truth, to name sources, making up sources, or ever have to correct themselves or apologies for misreporting and blatant lies.
      One thing is sure, their reporting does not do any good to the credibility of these so called serious media who hire them these days. Next time you see their names or faces popup, be aware of their backgrounds.

  2. Aurora says:

    I think the press has underestimated the good will Meghan and Harry have established via networking – although when applied to a woman it’s called “social climbing”. The ability to meet people and impress them to the point they want to collaborate with you is a gift. This is something the Keen’s lack. I recall William whining that no celebrity would work with him on some initiative. You have to actually put in the time to form those relationships.

    • S808 says:

      I honestly think BRF and BM thought Meghan had no one because she wasn’t an A-list actress. The fact that she had mutual friends with a prince should’ve been a clue that the girl has contacts and can easily acquire new ones.

      • Ruby_Woo says:

        There were so many ‘concerns’ about how they couldn’t possibly make it alone without the support, advice and protection of the RF (I read the ‘protection’ part as a threat to be honest), but yeah… they seem to doing pretty ok!

    • Andrew’s Nemesis says:

      Afternoon, @Aurora… I’ve always understood social climbing to be a process whereby one uses connections in order to proceed up the social or career ladder and then discard those below you in the food chain (something that the Wisteria Sisters were particularly good at). As you say, PWT and Keen aren’t good at networking because they don’t take the time to know and understand others; they’re solidified in their atrophied, archaic little cage. Harry and Meghan have so much to offer, so much enthusiasm, and they’re genuinely charming. Of course they were going to win this particular challenge.

      • Scollins says:

        Yes, I think you’ve nailed it. “atrophied, archaic”

      • Aurora says:

        By that definition a significant number of men would be labeled social climbers but that is rarely the case. I rarely see men described that way. Men can meet, collaborate with, and move on from any number of people to their benefit. Only women are required to be BFFs for life with anyone they networked with lest they be branded golddigging social climbers.

      • Jane's Wasted Talent says:

        Hm, I’ve always heard it applied to both sexes. Do you live in an area with more traditional attitudes toward gender roles, maybe? I don’t know, I grew up in an average suburban environment, and this and other insults were applied to men equally (social climber, gold digger, backstabber, etc), because those men were all of those things, just like the women. The idea that any of these terms could be gender specific, or that any of them would only be applied to women, feels very uncomfortable to me.

        Well, actually there is ‘gigolo’ for men only, so do I have to walk back that ‘gender specific’ bit… or can I justify it because of the unequal power balance in favor of men? Yes, that sounds good.

    • Eugh says:

      Doesn’t Will also leech his plane rides off the Duke of Westminster? Having rich generous friends is only a problem when it’s Meghan

    • xo says:

      William was speaking specifically about engagement with a mental health initiative, which posed unique challenges. . . .

    • dlc says:

      I think that is a very insightful comment aurora! The sexism implied in social climbing vs. Networking….

  3. Greatgift says:

    I’m from New Zealand and we all know America is more racist than Britain. America where a Blackman can’t jog in peace or where a Blackman walking on the streets is gunned down simply because he is wearing a hoody👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽. I laugh when I see comments here talking about the racism in Britain while ignoring the big Elephant in the room which is America. The British tabloids might be racist but it doesn’t reflect on its people as most brits don’t pay attention to the drama surrounding the royal family in fact Americans are more invested in the drama than an average Brit!

    • Natalie says:

      This is false. The UK is just as racist. Australia is just as racist. Canada is just as racist. On and on and on.

      The biggest difference is they like to pretend they’re not. I assume you’re a Brit, and denying that the fact that you colonizers are some of the most racist in the world, along with much of Western Europe, is hilarious.

      • Greatgift says:

        Dear Natalie I am from New Zealand and proud 🇳🇿 🇳🇿

      • Natalie says:

        My bad, that was a mistake: So you’re actually just completely ignorant then. Maybe look to your closest neighbor Australia then, where racism runs rampant.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Greatgift

        Please don’t avoid the threads, your input is very much welcome and I agree to a large degree with your post.

        Please ignore certain commenters whose default mode for disagreement is petty insults. So unnecessary.

      • Tay says:

        BS. Natalie have you ever lived in all of these countries? Well I have and hands down the most racist country on earth towards Blacks is the US. As Greatgift says black joggers don’t get gunned down in all of those other countries. And a reminder for CB readers, british tabloid press doesn’t equal what most brits think.

      • Lotus says:

        Sorry Natalie but no other country guns down innocent black people on the regular like the US. Racism exists everywhere but in America the problem has reached such levels that black people have to fear going for a run on a sunny afternoon.

      • truthSF says:

        Thank you Natalie! And white ppl are really on here telling us (Black People and other POC) what constitutes racism just because the racists in their countries are not gunning down our people! We deal with racism in more ways then just getting shot! And y’all don’t get to tell us that y’all countries are less racist because YOU don’t see/recognize the many different forms of racism!!!! Miss me with that BS!!!😤

      • aurelia says:

        We know how to read statistics in Britain, that’s all. We don’t generally allow wokeness to let our brains fall out.

      • anon says:

        Oh hey, GreatGift,

        Listen, I hate to burst your bubble, but last time I checked, New Zealand originally belonged to the Maoris, who report regularly “the daily racism” they experience in the land of the Hobbits. See also this piece from your fellow countryman, Taika Waititi, whose comments don’t seem to jive with your rose-colored opinion of your country: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/09/hollywood-director-taika-waititi-says-new-zealand-is-racist

        So as a colonial transplant, I reject your self-righteous comments as utterly delusional and false. Also: Let’s not forget the lunatic that killed 51 people shooting up mosques in Christchurch only a year ago.

        New Zealand needs to deal with its own racism and colonial bias toward its indigenous population before you go pointing fingers at others.

      • Mouki's wife says:

        I’m Canadian and we have problems 100%, but we are not the same as any of these countries. First of all, we are some of the most generous people supporting refugees not through politics, but actions and our own money. Then, through our liberal political system. Finally, it’s worth noting the only person in my immediate family who had a racist response to me marrying a black man, former Somali refugee, was my American cousin. Canadians are generous and we may not understand cultural differences, but we are open to learning and the younger generations are not afraid to challenge the old stock white family members.

      • CROWHOOD says:

        Y’all. Re-read your comments. Who cares who’s country is most racist. The thing you all agreed upon is that all countries are racist. There are varying degrees of fatality associated with that racism. NOBODY IS A WINNER IN THIS. Americans can say “wow British media is super racist right out loud!” And brits can say “wow Americans shoot black people in the street”. And both of those things are correct and neither one makes the other better. Stop having whos racism is better arguments. It’s gross.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      I think the racism in the USA is very different from the racism in the UK. However, there is much racism in both countries.

      IMHO: One of the major problems in the USA which has an effect on race problems is gun control.

      • Greatgift says:

        IMHO: One of the major problems in the USA which has an effect on race problems is gun control.
        I totally agree with you I’m appalled to see the kind of sophisticated weapons it’s citizens are allowed to own

      • BabsORIG says:

        @BTB, I was gonna say exactly this, the only difference in levels of racism is the number of guns in the US. US equals no other country in lack of gun control and the amount of power given to yr police officers to just gun down innocent POC with no repuccassions whatsoever just because yr police officers won’t face any prosecution.
        But that doesn’t mean other countries are not racist and coming on here being rude to Americans because POC are killed at will;, please pass me with that craziness. Just like the British tabloids don’t represent the entire British nation, same in the US, the racists in their country don’t make every American racist. Racism is at the core of all colonialism, white peoples coming from Europe and stealing lands of people of color to claim them as their own, murdering or forcing the aboriginal peoples into slavery and concentration camps, then making the white invaders the owners of those lands who now have the only rights to say who lives or doesn’t live in those lands etc. Aboriginal peoples in the US, in Latin America, in Australia, in Canada, in New Zealand, in Africa, in Asia, in the Far East, all were murders and brutalized at the hands of the white invaders who brutalized helpless innocent people because “oh we are white and superior to everyone so we’ll murder them and steal their land just because we can” and people have the audacity to come here and boast of how much less of racists they are than the Americas? No thank you. So no, @Natalie is not wrong to counter @greatgift wild claims of US is the most racist of all.

    • Erinn says:

      Yeah! Come on guys! It’s not like Britain has a history of colonialism or anything! Ohhhhh waaaaiiittt.

      Here’s a tip. You’ll be hard pressed to find a single nation that doesn’t have a history steeped in racism of some kind. Probably a handful of people in your family or friend circles hold racist views. I say this as a Canadian who recognizes that there is a huge racism problem in this country. Just because the racism is played more subtly in some cases doesn’t mean that it’s not there and it’s not incredibly damaging.

      What your saying is basically as silly as someone saying ‘I mean, I know there are murderers in my country, but they murdered less people than the murderers in America! We win!”

      • lizzieb says:

        @Erinn. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. Too true. In Canada we have a veneer of tolerance. Many people are not racist but unfortunately many are. They tend to try to hide it and it sneakily comes out as they try to find like minds or make “innocent” comments. They then pull the hurt feelings card when called out…or they try to justify their views. Even our veneer is chipping away a bit. Maga types are starting to feel bolder about expressing their views. We really can’t congratulate ourselves too much on tolerance, as hatefulness is often bubbling just under the surface.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Erinn

        I think it’s more like saying this drunk driver who caused a fatal accident is an awful person, but less awful than the man who murdered his wife for the insurance payout, and he is also less awful than the serial killer of 20 women, who is also less awful than Hitler. And so on.

        There are levels of evil.

      • Nic919 says:

        @Erinn 100% agree. Racism is everywhere and it’s the British empire that imposed slavery, genocide and colonialism in all the English speaking countries. The UK only stopped slavery about 30 years before the US did. So pretending there are not racial disparities and racism all over is naive.

      • Erinn says:

        Of course there are levels of evil. But it just seems ridiculous to be smug about something like this. It’d be like being proud that Trump hasn’t pulled a complete Hitler. It doesn’t mean that things Trump does aren’t horrific. Just because you’re not actively causing genocide doesn’t mean that you don’t have a horrible racism problem.

      • Lotus says:

        Do you many countries have a history of colonization? That’s not British construct. Yes every country has racism but some places seem to have a much higher propensity for it. How many black people have been killed in Canada while jogging on a Sunday afternoon? How many black kids have been killed in England for buying skittles? To conflate a bunch of racist new articles with murders seems to diminish the impact of those innocent people murdered and the impact on their family.

      • Erinn says:

        Lotus,
        I know it’s not a British construct, but the OP had said specifically “I laugh when I see comments here talking about the racism in Britain while ignoring the big Elephant in the room which is America.” They brought Britain into it, and downplayed their racist history just because America is worse. This site certainly doesn’t downplay or ignore racism in the US, so I’m really not sure where that opinion came from. Does that stance not diminish the impact of centuries of racism in British colonies?

        There are also 328.2 million people living in the US while you have around 66 million in the UK. Reported hate crimes more than doubled in the UK between 2013 and 2018 as well, so it’s not like it’s on a downward trend.

        All I’m saying is nobody can sit on a pedestal and act like their country is doing it right. We all live somewhere with a history of racism. We all have loved ones or friends or coworkers who hold racist beliefs. Yes, America is incredibly flawed, but so are other countries. But the point OP was making was that we somehow ignore the racism in the US on this site – and that’s absolutely not true.

      • June says:

        @Erinn, have to agree with “All I’m saying is nobody can sit on a pedestal and act like their country is doing it right.”
        But the truth is sometimes people do act like it, even here where people are very concerned about racism but somehow those people who have discovered British racism in the past two years (lol) are often saying, well we thought we in America were bad but you guys are so much worse! And this is because of the treatment of Meghan by the tabloids (definitely a worse and more powerful entity than any tabloids in the US) and the royal family and adjacents (definitely a very specifically white and outdated regressive institution). Both those things don’t represent British people, or fully even British problems of racism. It’s just a very narrow view with which to make conclusions about societies, but oh well subtlety on the internet…

      • Bella says:

        @ greatgift, Bella Dupont, June, Andrew’s nemesis

        Absolutely agree with all of you, all your excellent points.. It’s tragic that we are arguing about whose country is least shitty on this question, but there is no question for me that USA is the worst. And IMO it’s because of the practice of slavery on American soil and the gun culture. What I will say in America’s favour is that you are far more willing to acknowledge it – unless you’re racists, obviously – and have a more sophisticated understanding of the forms it can take.
        Years ago, someone described racism in the UK as very widespread, but shallow rooted,. Sadly, we are becoming more like the US with deeper roots. White supremacy is part of whites’ identity in the US. Many recognise that and reject it, some don’t. Plus as someone pointed out, the black population in the US is much larger as a proportion of the total – I think we in the UK are only about 5% – and correspondingly more confident. In Britain, the identity of whites’ is mainly about British superiority, or perhaps I should say English. And again, many are aware of this and reject it, some don’t. To many such people, a black Briton with a Birmingham accent is less objectionable than a white Polish person who has a “foreign accent”. I don’t think that would be the case in the States.
        Colonialism was and is utterly shameful but does not compare to slavery. The effects of both linger on.
        Nobody has anything to be proud of here, but the idea that Meghan is escaping racism by living in America is a sick joke. You lot voted for Trump. She is escaping the tabloids and the RF and a peculiarly British brand of racism.

      • Greatgift says:

        “Colonialism was and is utterly shameful but does not compare to slavery. The effects of both linger on.
        Nobody has anything to be proud of here, but the idea that Meghan is escaping racism by living in America is a sick joke. You lot voted for Trump. She is escaping the tabloids and the RF and a peculiarly British brand of racism.”

        @Bella thank you so much for stating this so eloquently! Thank You!

      • June says:

        Thanks @Bella, agree with all you have stated. As I mentioned before, I am a British WOC but I have studied and lived in the US and I do agree that talking about the problem of racism was definitely easier and less uncomfortable in the US, that’s a good thing. I do not wish to use my personal experiences to make definitive statements about societies in general though because experiences can vary so much. I have certainly heard of POC travelling to parts of Europe and feeling alienated because of their race, or dealing with the aristocratic lot and experiencing racism, but also those who have had a more positive experience in other more diverse settings. I also sadly agree with your “Sadly, we are becoming more like the US” in terms of MAGA type attitude and behaviour (please know that I am not saying we haven’t always had awful people, just those kind of specific characteristics). I recently participated in a webinar featuring Arundhati Roy and Naomi Klein and they discussed how right wing leaders around the world are learning from each other’s tactics and behaviours, I think this is true of their followers too. Indeed, as you say, nobody has anything to be proud of. In fact we have a lot to fear.

      • Deedee says:

        The thing is that white people should stop trying to prove they are less racist than the next guy. That is a ridiculous cop out. All racism is bad no matter where you live.

        I lived in Quebec as a child. My brother was assaulted in the 3rd grade by classmates who tried to strangle him while screaming racist things. I was told in 1st grade by a friend that I couldn’t walk her home because her dad said he would chase away any black person that showed up at their house with a broom. Would you tell those kid’s to just be grateful because they could have been shot instead?

        I don’t understand the logic. Being less racist is nothing to be proud of and Uscis a sign you should check for blind spots and biases you may be ignoring…

      • Bavarian says:

        This is saying because of Hitler Germany is still racist….our trackrecord is lately not that bad compared to other countries ( and iam looking at you USA. Nazis are allowed to roam free there ).
        You will always have indiviual idiots and Need to be prosecuted for racism but in total number…yep..the USA is number 1 again.

      • Ruby_Woo says:

        @Deedee: Thank you! This ‘least racist’ narrative is tiresome. In some ways it’s actually more vicious because you are gaslit into believing nothing is wrong; you are the problem for bringing up an issue and you should be grateful because it could be much worse.

        For me, claiming to be least racist is just an excuse to be racist.

    • ABritGuest says:

      I’m from Britain and Britain has same structural issues with racism as US eg inequalities across health, justice, education& in employment.

      Britain created most of the racial codes during slavery that influenced US& other countries. Difference is cotton slavery& most of its oppression was done abroad so Brits dont have the same legacy of living with it directly. Plus Britain’s POC population is much smaller& less influential so easier to act like it isn’t an issue in Britain.

      You only have to see how the few high profile POC are treated especially compared to their white peers to know it’s a massive issue in Britain. Some of the slurs used against Meghan would have caused a massive backlash in the US (as we saw with Victoria Mather’s trailer trash comments) but in Britain barely caused a shrug.

      This video of a British writer& artist is very good at describing nature of British racism

      https://twitter.com/therealdaddymo1/status/1225429984191401986?s=21

      • Natalie says:

        Look at the uproar when Stormzy said England was racist. In America we’d go “yeah, we know that already….” because we talk about it constantly. In England they freaked the hell out.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        That is an amazing video. Extremely informative.

      • Ruby_Woo says:

        Completely agree with you. As a Brit; I do feel like even there though there is gun violence, the legacy of slavery and the racist criminal justice system, there is also a much more prominent black/ brown upper and middle class, with power, influence and money. They also have much more prominent roles in the media e.g. Gayle or Oprah.

        I was astonding with the backlash the US gave to Victoria Mathers and Emily Giffin. Americans call things out, whereas in the UK and other ‘less racist’ countries, things are just minimized with ambiguous words and swept under the carpet.

    • Bella DuPont says:

      In my humble opinion, racism is a world wide problem unfortunately, BUT, there are degrees of awfulness. My racism scale for the countries you’ve mentioned is:

      Australia > America > Europe >= U.K > Canada

      Sadly though, the U.K is catching up fast to the levels of racism and xenophobia in Europe, but is still a lot less racist than America, where it can still sometimes be deemed criminal to exist with melanin.

      Again, just my perception, nothing more.

    • Jenn says:

      In my opinion racism in Britain is worse than in the United States. The Brits dig in when they are called out about their racism. Americans do not deny that racism is a problem in their country. Australians, New Zealanders and Brits seem to think racism is when one uses the n word only. I mean they still insist that ‘uppity’ and exotic blood and straight out of Compton are not racist or have racist connotations.

      • Ruby_Woo says:

        As Brit POC, I completely agree with you.

        There is also a medieval class-structure in the UK that is inherintly entwined with race; in order to be part of the upper class in the UK, you have to be from the right family which are always white. Brits like to pretend we are a 21st century advanced society, but most of the land, money, power and media are controlled by the upper classes. Daily Mail is owned by a lord. The majority of the MPs are from Eton.

        Being of colour automatically cuts you off from those circles and the power and influence that comes with it.

        The gaslighting is what gets me. Whenever the media complains about Russian or Chinese interference; I always think to myself ‘you literally bomb countries and kill black/ brown bodies to interfere’. The hypocrisy is astounding.

        The only reason black men aren’t being shot in the UK is because of gun control.

        America brewed their racism in, while Britain exported it out.

    • June says:

      @greatgift, Thanks for bringing this up, I think it’s important how we talk about racism throughout the world. I’m not that interested in “who is most racist”. I’m a British WOC who has also lived in the US, so I have my experiences and opinions. Many people who are now on the “British are so racist” train seem to have been previously not aware that racism is an issue in the UK and now it’s like, wow we thought you guys were better but look how you treated Meghan! Which to me is, well I’m glad you see the reality of my shitty country now, but this doesn’t make the US better at not being racist, you know? In other words, we all have issues with racism, people, and as a WOC that’s what I would love for people to acknowledge, not this “your country is worse though!” whataboutism.

      • ABritGuest says:

        I agree that people outside of Britain aren’t as aware of Britain’s race issues- before the wedding I saw a comment from a US commentator that whilst US was replacing Obama with Trump, the royal family was leading the way with first mixed race royal union. I mean it’s downplayed a lot WITHIN Britain let alone outside it. Again I think its partly to due to visibility-was 2009 before you had first black CEO of a FTSE 100 company, 2019 year saw first Asian in key cabinet position.

        There obviously aren’t as many high profile WOC in Britain compared to US (but few there are like Diane Abbot face similar abuse) so think people here are less used to recognising when language is problematic. So I think some US observers have been surprised by the dogwhistling &vitriol from the press towards Meghan and that it was largely unchecked.

        Unfortunately tabloids etc do represent the mainstream press as shown by dominance of tabloid journalists on morning shows and their use as talking heads on respectable shows like Andrew Marr so whilst they don’t necessarily represent the country’s views as a whole- they DO have a lot of influence.

        I don’t think it’s helpful to play ‘my country is less racist than yours’ though because as long as prejudice exists it’s a problem.

      • June says:

        @ABritGuest, I’ve been thinking about what you have said about tabloids representing the mainstream press and and “whilst they don’t necessarily represent the country’s views as a whole – they DO have a lot of influence.”
        Since I’ve been banging on about how tabloids don’t represent us (esp. us POC), that did give me pause and you are absolutely right. In a way, when Americans respond to “you elected Trump!” by saying, “well I didn’t, and more people voted for Hillary”, which is true, but enough people voted for Trump, you know? Same in the UK, I certainly have never or will ever vote for any Tory govt (not to mention the issue of disinformation campaigning that has become rampant and calls into question the legitimacy of elections), but enough people voted for Brexit and for Boris Johnson’s government. Can we live with that? And even if we don’t take responsibility for it, at least we should acknowledge this about our countries that we, in many ways, do have love for even as we criticise. No point in hitting each other over the head with “yours is worse because of x,y,z” to score some cheap point.

    • Molly says:

      You really sound like you care about racism with your multiple New Zealand emojis. Don’t you dare use that man’s murder in this deplorable way. Shame on you.

      Honestly, how dare you. Fix the racism in your country instead of using whataboutism in such an absolutely disgusting way.

      • Greatgift says:

        @Molly how did I use the man’s death in a deplorable way? now shame on you for missing the point! You have a huge problem in the US and you guys need fixing! Yes there is racism all over the world but The US tops the list attitude like yours is the reason why people don’t want to talk. When people talk you say no it should be said this way and that way and when people don’t talk it means they support the crime. You need to pick a side.
        And yes I do care about racism no matter what you and your cronies think. In this age and time skin color should not be an issue but here we are in bloody 2020 and people’s colour seem to be getting on people’s nerves

      • Molly says:

        Why don’t you post a few more New Zealand flag emojis and maybe then you’ll get it. You’re disgusting.

        Stop using someone’s murder to talk up your country. To be able to do that is dehumanizing and you’re either a troll or incredibly obtuse. You’re a poor case for representing New Zealand. You’re like the New Zealand version of people who say Murica.

        You are using this to avoid looking at the problems in your own backyard. This is more about you feeling defensive than caring about the subject but maybe you just need to post more New Zealand emojis.

      • Greatgift says:

        No Molly you are disgusting and a piece of shit I have had it with you all who can’t have educative, objective and matured arguments on here without resorting to insults. Shame on you for twisting things shame!

      • Lotus says:

        Stop molly. The murder of Ahmaud became international news reaching as far as New Zealand bc it was so tragic that an innocent man’s life was taken for no reason. We should all ge outraged by it and continue to say his name so we dont forget, Ahmaud deserved better in life and he should get justice in death.

      • Molly says:

        The context matters. Do not say his name to make excuses for the British. Treat this with respect.

      • Nic919 says:

        Do we need to bring up how the Maori were treated? All countries have the stain of racism and colonialism.

      • Greatgift says:

        Molly I won’t reply you again this will be the last time. You are deplorable and you need help attitude like yours is why people keep quiet when young black men are murdered Cos they do not know what to say to and how to say it to satisfy you. Discussing about race issue is like walking around egg shells cos whatever one says will be dissected and taken the wrong way! You think only you know the right thing to say. So keep on at it! Disgusting I’m out of here!

      • Molly says:

        When you don’t know how to talk about something, stay quiet and listen. Boost the words of others who can speak well. Your thoughts and opinions don’t need to be the center of attention. Check your ego.

        And don’t use whataboutism and be dismissive about racism again. Are you a British POC? If not, don’t talk about what you don’t know. Don’t use the death of a victim of racism in this way again.

      • Lotus says:

        Okay I dont want to argue or insult anyones opinions but my interpretation of the original poster comments was that there has been a lot of talk about British racism towards Megan and Harry, which is awful, but it’s not the same as murder. Nobody is denying that racism is alive and well in every country but I think there is no other country in the world were people are being murdered time and again based on their race. I’m not stating that any country is better when it comes to race but I think we see a lot more race based violence in the US which is made worse by the availability of guns.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        @Lotus – There is much more violence, especially gun related violence, in USA period.

    • Becks1 says:

      OMG, I hate the debates of which country is more racist. Every country has issues and problems and racism in different countries takes different forms. In the US its compounded by guns, for sure, but lets not throw in the “the US voted for Trump! you all are racist!” more people voted for Hillary than Trump.

      This discussion is tiresome and just becomes a matter of “well, at least HERE we dont….”

    • Beach Dreams says:

      This whole thread reads like a bunch of white people trying to one-up each other on proclaiming which country is less awful. Pathetic.

      • Natalie says:

        I’m not white, I’m actually Indian (of course I don’t use my real name on internet comments). South Asians make up the majority of minorities in the in UK, so when British people try to tell an Indian that “our racism isn’t that bad!” I just laugh and laugh and laugh.

      • Sofia says:

        Pretty much. Every single country has a racism problem and it just seems people are trying to play “opression olympics”

      • Lexluthorblack says:

        As a black women, I lived in US and Canada. Both countries are racist but US have systemic racism against built into the social fabric which makes it worse.

      • June says:

        @Beach Dreams, yeah it leaves a bad taste.

      • Ruby_Woo says:

        This is 100% It’s ok to have an opinion, but something about race really triggers some people and brings out there defensiveness. If you are not part of the group that is experiencing bigoty; it is ok to just listen. I am straight and able-bodied. If someone from the LGBTQ+ community or disabled person is telling me about their very real experiences, I am more than happy to shut up and listen.

        I feel like when POC are talking about their experiences/ calling out racism, some white people take it as a very personal criticism of them, when its not. There is something very triggering about race and I think a lot of that triggering is the blatant denial of it; if someone if not calling you the N word; it’s not racism.

    • Oh-Dear says:

      a very insightful read on the different system structural racism acted out in different countries is The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri. She weaves a beautiful story of her experiences in many countries as a refugee and later immigrant.
      Systemic and oppression exist in all colonized countries, in the US there is a level of gun violence that shapes the narrative of racism – just because other countries have different ways racism is enacted doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist or is less harmful.

      • June says:

        @Oh-Dear, thanks for the reminder. I read a review of her book some years ago,will try to get hold of a copy.

      • Caty Page says:

        Thank you for eloquently stating what a lot of us on here are trying to say.

        America’s gun problem highlights its systemic racism. That doesn’t mean other countries don’t have systemic racism.

      • Ruby_Woo says:

        Thank you! If the UK didn’t have gun control, belive me there would be a lot of dead Black and Muslim men.

        Just recently a video went viral of UK police shooting a black man with a taser gun in front of his toddler – the amount of trauma that little girl must now have is unimaginable.

        Fines for breaking lockdown rules have been disproportionately given to POC, even though we litterally saw middle england having street parties and doing the conga for V.E. celebrations.

    • L4frimaire says:

      The main difference is the 2nd amendment and the timeline.

    • MrsBanjo says:

      All those countries are just as racist. The ONLY reason you’re even able to pretend they’re not is because the racists in those countries don’t have the access to guns that the US has. If they did, you bet your ass there would be mass shootings.

      Oh and PLEASE with this about New Zealand. Have you already erased Christchurch from your memory? Just because the government response to the shooting regarding guns was better doesn’t mean that suddenly the racism/bigotry is gone.

  4. BayTampaBay says:

    Gayle King looks great.

    • Bella says:

      +1
      This woman is 65?
      Let me sit down and compose myself before I comment on the actual story!

  5. Sofia says:

    I think people in general underestimate Meghan (and Harry). You can say a lot of things about her but let’s give her credit where credit is due: she knows how to network. She was/is sharing mutual friends with a British Prince as an American living in Canada. And did anyone think Tyler Perry and the Sussexes knew each other? I didn’t and I’m willing to bet there are other connections to people they have but we don’t know about.

    I’ve always said that if the monarchy were to end tomorrow, Meghan (and to a lesser extent Harry) would be the only one(s) able to actually make some money and get on her/their own two feet. The rest would just be reliant on their rich friends for handouts as they’ve barely lived in the real world nor do they know how to network/form connections with people

    • Ali says:

      This is why the British media are completely stupid.

      They drove the Sussexes away with the smear campaign right into a global platform.

      • Britt says:

        Right. All that horrid behavior and constant attacks did nothing in the end but give more lawsuits and loss of money. And they’re trying to hang on to them as much as possible to the point of trying to follow them to America. They know the British celebs that live in LA can’t stand the tabloids either and won’t be spilling deets. That’s why I’m sure Piers Morgan was backtracking because he wants to be in the know when Harry and Meghan start working. These people ain’t slick.

  6. Toot says:

    The UK media have no idea who Meghan and Harry know and went with the easiest choice of Oprah.

    I love that M&H are out of Britain and those RRs really have no clue of their moves until after. No more leaks from the shitty palaces since they dont know nothing either.

    • Izzy says:

      They went with the easiest choice of the uber-famous black woman, because they are that lazy and racist as journos.

    • Britt says:

      I think the U.K. media hate Meghan because at the end of the day, she didn’t need them and I think she made Harry realize that as well. They know that if they’re successful and continue to have those contacts, the delusional dream of them coming back to the U.K. isn’t happening. That’s why they troll and attack anyone associated with them but the problem is that the papers and their reporters are losers and don’t matter especially internationally.

      • Lowrider says:

        ” she didn’t need them and I think she made Harry realize that as well. ”

        Harry has long despised the royal rota before Meghan stepped in the picture. I don’t think his wife had anything to do with him realizing he doesn’t want to work with the rota.

    • S808 says:

      Yeah, nothing will leak (unless they want it to) from the circle they’re building now. RRs really played themselves.

      • Britt says:

        Truly played themselves. All that outrage and stirring up hatred to pressure for access and it still didn’t work.

  7. Britt says:

    I don’t think the tabloids really understand either how foolish and irrelevant they really are. They may be the gatekeepers in Britain but in America, ain’t nobody falling for that except the loonies and haters. They’re obsessed with the Sussexes because they’ve never experienced anyone fighting back and actually standing up to them. The foolishness they tried in Britain will not fly over here which is why all these reporters like Katie Nicholl, Piers Morgan and the like a playing nice for now. Those reporters and establishment want Harry and Meghan back because the rest of the royals are boring, ineffectual and bland. They realize that the money train has stopped. The hating Australian/British morning shows as well pretend that they don’t miss Harry/Meghan, when it’s clear they still want and hope for access one day.

    • Nyro says:

      Yep. Americans generally don’t like haters. We like hard workers, strivers, folks who reinvent themselves, scrappy talented folks from humble beginnings who go on to do great things, etc. Going after people like that and picking them apart over bullcrap is hateration and Americans don’t go for that. Being petty and jealous and tearding down people seems to be a national British pastime. Their entire morning show format is nothing but a bunch of haters trying to drag people. This is what is considered good morning conversation, a nice way to start the day. It’s so pathetic. Could you imagine Gayle King or Hota Kotb sitting on television every morning lying about and dragging celebrities? No way. When that nasty old British gossip columnist got on CNN and said that MM was “two steps up from trailer trash”, she was immediately shut down and the interview immediately ended. When dusty old Penny Junor was on The Early Show and basically said Meghan never experienced racism from the press and that Britain was not a racist country, a white male anchor asked her, point blank, “have you talked to any black Britons about that”? The stuff they pull in Meghan and Harry simply will not fly in America. And these people are going to be in for a rude awakening once we are in the safe side of this coronavirus nightmare. Because Meghan and Harry are going to be a juggernaut that the local royals and the British media simply won’t be able to contend with.

      • Elizabeth says:

        “Americans generally don’t like haters.” — Um. We elected Trump. I have little faith left in my fellow Americans.

      • Nyro says:

        Trump is an anamoly and a result of white racist backlash against the first Black president. Any other time, the candidate seen as most positive and optimistic usually wins. So no, Americans do not like haters. No one likes the person who’s jealous and talking down on the co-worker who just bought a new lovely car. It is a cultural thing and with the Brits that kind of nastiness toward anyone being better or more successful than the next person or “rising above their station” seems to be socially acceptable. It’s like the whole country suffers from Tall Poppy syndrome. That’s why all their successful celebrities run off and move to America as soon as they can. Just like the Sussexes. To get away from a nation of haters. As a collective, Americans do not subscribe to that. It’s not seen as a bad thing to be a striver and a hard worker here.

      • Bavarian says:

        Really? The first days after i immigrated to the US ( i moved back to Europe) I saw the 700 Club and the view and Fox News…this all 110 % hate on These Programmes.

      • Nyro says:

        Yrs, Bavarian. No one aspires to be like those clowns on Fox News or 700 Club. They are not considered goals by most Americans.

    • Ruby_Woo says:

      “They may be the gatekeepers in Britain…”

      When the Sussexes were part of the RF, I would actually follow the RRs, even though they were absolutely awful, they would have the inside knowledge of their work and schedules and events. Now that they have left, I no longer follow them because they have nothing to offer apart from fan-fiction. Every now and then I will check if something happens, just to see how they report it and their engagements are really low.

      Personally, I don’t think the Palace wants the Sussexes back. I think they are happy not be overshadowed. I think its more the tabloid media who are losing out on money and engagement. Some of the reporters nearly lost their goddamn minds when they announced their leaving.

  8. Becks1 says:

    Yeah, the British press cant figure out how someone who grew up in LA and worked on a successful show for years and then married a prince who has done international work for years might “know people” if its not through Oprah. Its kind of funny, in a sad way. Besides that, Meghan networks, so does Harry. They’re both really good at it, and I say that with zero shade. It’s a skill.

    I also think the british establishment underestimated how protective Americans are of Meghan, yes, but also how protective wealthy powerful black Americans – like Oprah, like Tyler Perry, like Beyoncé – are of Meghan. they are going to recognize so much of the criticism of her for what it is – racially based. They know why she had to get out of the UK.

    • S808 says:

      Yup powerful Black Americans really rose up around her and those are the people who made it known, there’s no telling who they’ve been in contact with and who have reached out to them.

    • Ruby_Woo says:

      I would love for her to go back to her UN ambassador role!

  9. Izzy says:

    They must be seeing just how hard people go after American media outlets who use one of those garbage racist journos for royal “insights.” Between that and the Sussexes officially cutting them out, they’re finally starting to see just how diminished their access is, and they think they can get it back by working with US media. I don’t think it’s going to work out so well for the US media outlets who try it.

    • Britt says:

      Yep. Emily Giffin, Piers Morgan and that horrid woman on MSNBC learned real quick that the BS and nastiness isn’t going to fly anymore. Everyone read the tabloids headlines and saw the double standards and racism. They truly underestimated Meghan and they didn’t break her and they’re stunned by it.

  10. ShazBot says:

    The obvious is the Obamas…and frankly I’m surprised the British media hasn’t jumped all over that.

    • L4frimaire says:

      That is somewhat implausible to me. Think the Obamas have bigger fish to fry than hooking up houses in an election year, especially one this crucial, and they live in D.C. It could be as simple as putting a bug in the ear of a well connected friend who knew this place was vacant, regardless of the owner, or maybe Perry reached out directly. They’re not going to tell us. H and M have valuable connections that go back years and aren’t always so linear. They know people, and not just celebrities. All this name dropping by tabloids is to say that they can’t admit the Sussexes came to this decision to leave on their own, without outside influence. The press refuse to acknowledge that the reason they are in LA right now on this beautiful sunny day is because of their attacks and smears, encouraged by Harry’s family.

    • Ruby_Woo says:

      Isn’t Harry friend with the Obamas?

      But yeah, am surprised too. That would have been the icing on the cake for the Trump vs Meghan beef narrative.

  11. S808 says:

    I agree that they completely underestimated how protective as well and it’s one of the reasons why I don’t think British RRs will gain a foothold here. Meghan and Harry are also excellent at networking. No one knows who all they know.

    • Britt says:

      Yep and that’s why Piers Morgan changed his attitude real quick, lol. The Sussexes are working with powerful contacts and companies. The British Media is mad because they are truly irrelevant and cut off. They got want they wanted. Focus on the boring, bland royals who barely sell papers and get clicks.

  12. KellyRyan says:

    I think there is both with Gayle, genuine caring and kindness toward H&M and seeking the, “get interview,” for the network which employs her. LA is an entertainment city with power house networking. Caught a news report, 750,000 in the industry are on layoffs due to Covid-19.

  13. VS says:

    ” Just my opinion, but I think the British establishment has completely underestimated just how protective Americans are of Meghan. We’ve been watching all the sh-t that went down and I think there are a lot of Americans (powerful Americans) who will do the most to help the Sussexes now that they’re stateside.”

    Truer words have never been spoken on the topic of H&M. I consider myself a Meghan’s supporter because of all the shit I saw happening to a very smart and beautiful WOC in the UK.

    Whatever they did in the UK will not happen here! we have our fringe of Magas but for people like me, there is no charity or project Meghan will support or start that I would not contribute to! only her can make me donate to a UK based charity!!!

    In the #ArchieDay fundraiser, I saw on Twitter that the #SussexSquad excluded UK based charities from the list (I fully understand them!); they ended up reconsidering because of Harry!

    • ABritGuest says:

      I read that that Archie birthday fundraiser raised like £10,000 for Harry’s patronage WellChild which will surely help as it has an emergency appeal at the moment.

      Now if only royal fans could do similar- just read Shooting Stars children’s hospice backed by Kate& Sophie is closing. The royals are really going to have to prove their worth as patrons post pandemic& with no deal Brexit looming.

      • Shelley says:

        The Archie fundraiser was wonderful. I’m glad they decided to help WellChild. The UK gov’t is truly disgusting! They bailed out the tabloids/papers but not the hospitals! Truly disgusting!

  14. StartupSpouse says:

    Did I miss it or did she just confirm where they are? I thought this was just speculation… If it was just speculation and not officially confirmed by MM and Harry, that’s not ok.

    • S808 says:

      BM bought and posted (which were VERY quickly deleted cause I’m pretty sure unauthorized drone shots are illegal in Cali) pap shots of Harry in the backyard of Perry’s house a few weeks ago which confirmed it.

  15. Snap Happy says:

    So, Gayle just confirmed that they are staying at Perry’s home. This means the DM was right. I think they were the first ones with the story? How did they get it? Did the Sussex’s security tell Charles? Did William? If the Sussexes don’t trust the Cambridge’s why would they tell them where they were living? Could it have come from Perry’s side?

    • Britt says:

      Someone from the palace. If Harry has any communication with family members still, you know they’re talking to tabloids.

    • Becks1 says:

      I doubt it was someone from Perry’s side, although I guess its possible that someone told someone who told someone. We knew they were staying there (the DM published drone pics of Harry at the pool last week or the week before) so I’m not surprised at that from Gayle, but you do raise the interesting point of the DM being right. Sooo….how did they get the info? we know it was not from the Sussexes.

      • Snap Happy says:

        I suppose a paparazzi could have followed them as far as the gates to the community and the DM just took a guess from the list of homeowners there?

    • Nic919 says:

      I believe the story about them living in Tyler Perry’s place came not long after Charles was diagnosed with covid. Someone from one of the palaces probably figured out where Harry was calling from.

    • MsIam says:

      I don’t think it was from Tyler Perry’s camp because the media contacted him and he had no comment. Plus they would have said “sources within Tyler Perry’s camp said” if it came from there, no need to keep that hidden. So I’m thinking it was someone from Charles or William’s camp that leaked where they were staying. It’s well known the courtiers don’t like the Sussexes so no skin off their noses to leak something like this.

  16. Valiantly Varnished says:

    Exactly. And especially powerful Black Americans who understand more than most what it’s like to experience that kind of racism once you enter certain circles and echelons. They saw what happened to Meghan for what it was and they want to protect her. I know that’s how I feel as a black woman. I feel incredibly protective of her.

  17. TheOriginalMia says:

    The BM can’t imagine that little ol’ Meghan might have influential and affluent friends. They especially can’t wrap their heads around Harry having black friends, not just acquaintances. But both of things are true. As someone mentioned upthread, Meghan was friends with someone who introduced her to Harry. This person was in both of their circles and thought they’d make a great match, and they did. The fact Americans are going to go to bat isn’t surprising. We like looking at the pretty pictures of royals and their jewels, but when it comes down to it, we don’t give 2 shits about crowns and titles.

  18. Awkward symphony says:

    Racism exists EVERYWHERE. Period. There is no perfect country that doesn’t have bigotry.

    @NIC919 we learned about their location after we heard that the Sussexs spoke with Charles and the keenbridges to wish the kids a happy birthday. It’s definitely not leaked by tyler.

  19. Vanessa says:

    The British tabloids and the people who hate Meghan were happy when they successfully bullied The Sussex’s out of the Britain and the royal family. It wasn’t enough for these people to harass bully and stalked Meghan every day they wanted to see her and Harry and Archie on the streets begging for cash . The press thought they have absolutely won the war on the Sussex’s that their campaign of hate has successfully made the Sussex’s person non grata. They didn’t count on Meghan and Harry having connection outside Britain and what we are witnessing is the British tabloids freaking out over no longer having access to the Sussex’s like they used to . No more courtiers leaking stuffs to them no more of the Cambridge’s leaking to their favorite reporters or no more the Cambridge’s doing budgets stunts favors for the press . The daily mail will probably get lucky when Harry speaks to his father because it’s obviously this leak came from the palace side not Meghan and Harry side .

  20. blunt talker says:

    A lot of great statements and discussions on here today. A lot of posters were careful of thoughts and responses-I like that. Harry and Meghan knew people outside of Britian before they left. Networking is a great assest they both have. It will serve them well while going forward. Now that things are beginning to open up in LA-some things will be disclosed by the Sussex team. I wish them nothing but the best and I love looking at little Archie-such a cherub.