Since Meghan and Harry left the royal family and salty island, the gloves have come off. Many of Meghan’s friends and acquaintances have come out to support her and denounce the palace’s smear campaign. Janina Gavankar, Serena Williams, DB Woodside, Patrick J Adams and others have stated that Meghan has always been a kind person, that she is a delight to work with and that the allegations are not true. Meghan’s ex boyfriend from high school is adding his voice. Joshua Silverstein dated Meghan when she attended Immaculate Heart High School. Supposedly Joshua was Meghan’s first kiss. Joshua told US Magazine recently that he could not imagine Meghan mistreating staff. He said Meghan has just been trying to stay happy in an unwelcoming environment. Here is what he had to say to Us Magazine:
The 39-year-old duchess’ former childhood boyfriend Joshua Silverstein told Us Weekly exclusively that he doesn’t “personally see her” mistreating royal staffers as alleged in a March 2 report by The Times.
“I see her doing whatever it is she feels like she should do in order to be happy and coexist within a system that has probably not been very welcoming to who she is and where she comes from,” Silverstein added.
The Braid Theater performance artist continued, “When you find women of color — particularly Black women — standing up for themselves and speaking out and speaking against what they feel [is] disrespect or oppression, often times whiteness tends to classify that in negative ways because they don’t want that to happen. It’s almost like people are expected to know their place and whenever they don’t fall in line with that, then people say it’s a problem.”
Silverstein, who will be conducting a summer session at Cazadero Performing Arts Family Camp, doesn’t think the “scrutiny” and “negative criticism” will disappear now that Meghan and Harry have settled in California. However, he’s happy to see the couple choosing what they think is in their best interest.
“She’s probably having to make hard decisions and uncomfortable ones for the sake of just being able to smile the next day. That’s what life is about — making tough decisions so that you can live the life that allows you to thrive as the person you want to thrive as,” he said. “As long as she’s happy and he’s happy, that’s all that matters.”
I am loving how everybody is coming out in support of Meghan. Seeing this makes me so angry that the Palace kept her friends from speaking out for so long, especially during the height of the public bullying. Now she is getting so much support. I know the folks at the palace are shaking in their Wellies. It was much easier to attack Meghan and create a false narrative about her when they had her isolated with no one to counter the lies. Despite the fact that they have been trying to gaslight and discredit Meghan since that Oprah interview, it would seem most of the world believes Meghan and Harry. There are even new calls within several commonwealth countries to separate from the Crown.
It is so cute to see Joshua speaking up for Meghan. Joshua probably hasn’t seen Meghan since high school and yet he is a testament to the fact that Meghan has not changed nor has she gone full on diva. Meghan’s friends and coworkers all say the same thing, she is kind, intelligent, funny and warm. William and Charles need to apologize to Meghan and Harry. All of the royal reporters who spent the last four years bullying Meghan should go the way of Sharon Osbourne. In the meantime, I will be celebrating the fact that the Sussexes are living their best lives in Montecito, far away from the craziness of little Brexit isle and its toxic media culture.
photos credit: Avalon.red and Getty
NO ONE who worked with her prior to her joining the FR has anything bad to say about her. The only “friend” who ever said anything negative is the one who sold childhood photos to the tabloids., the rest of her friends adore her. It speaks volumes.
And I hear that the one who sold those childhood photos of her may have had an affair with her ex-husband while he was married to Meghan? Soooo, ya’ know, not the most reliable of sources.
The ex friend, even the Markles, have never said Meghan was mean or a bully or anything like that. It’s almost fortunate the smear is such a head scratcher and out of left field, there are more believable false narratives they could’ve perpetuated.
Joshua seems absolutely adorable, and right on the money with his assessment of how people of colour are treated in archetypal white spaces.
They should absolutely apologise to Meghan for everything and beyond, Kaiser, but now they have the vile Dan Wooton writing for the Wail, God only knows what new avenues of perfidy they’ll open.
Yep, he’s a smart guy. I love the way he expressed how whiteness reacts to black women when they don’t “know their place.” I can see why Meghan liked this guy.
Yeah, everyone is coming out swinging in her defense, but somehow we’re supposed to believe that when she got to KP she became a bully and a diva? Sure Jan.
I want to point out too that people who worked with her on set in hair and makeup etc have also come out in support of her – so it’s not just people that know her outside of work or as a fellow cast member. The support seems pretty universal.
Also, there are no claims of her bullying after Jason Knauf wrote that email or after they moved offices to BP. Interesting, right?
I love when the behind the scenes people give testimony, because they are often the ones who are mistreated on set. Not that any of her costars defense doesn’t count, but Meghan had no “obligation” to treat the hair guy nicely. So many stars pull an Ellen and are nice to celebrities, but treat everyone else like trash. It’s nice to hear that Meghan treated everyone she encountered with kindness.
Meghan’s reputation before joining the Firm was squeaky clean compared to almost every single member of that family. The Firm itself, as an institution, has a problematic legacy. Am I supposed to believe that a woman who has been described as sweet and kind by almost everyone who has met her is the villain in this story and somehow a whole institution (and all the white people within that institution) is the victim? I’d have to be completely brainwashed to believe this bs.
@myra a woman (i forgot her name) on The Talk said it best. There is absolutely no way a woman with megs background (actress, divorced, mixed-race and American) would get in that institution and then act whichever way she wants. She knows she isn’t able to get away with that.
I also find it funny that apparently there is an email with a bullying claim yet they can’t specify the claim. What was that incident about? And those bullying stories died down considerably once meg asked to see the evidence of her bullying staff
One of her former in- laws also made a very positive and kind statement about her which says a lot.
Yes, I believe it was her ex-MIL. If your former MOTHER-IN-LAW can and does speak highly of you, then you KNOW this woman is being unfairly persecuted.
It was Cory’s mom, but she wasn’t an in law. She is from Brantford ontario which is a smallish city and she has never been shy about saying positive things about Meghan even after Cory and Meghan broke up.
An accurate description of misogynoir if ever I’ve seen one. I love that this discussion about the RF’s racism keeps rumbling on. The conversation is happening and many in the British establishment have no idea how to engage with it. Their first instinct was to bury it, but quotes like this one from Josh continually pop that bubble.
What Joshua said is exactly what happened to Meghan at KP. It’s interesting that Meghan was a bully at KP but not when she and Harry got their own office under BP. If she was really a bully how come their UK spokesman is moving to the US to be the ED of Archewell?
Especially good that Joshua spoke up since all the haters who “don’t dislike her because she is biracial” claim that she “only dates white men”.
Seems like she only dates hotties with good personalities though.
It’s so upsetting that her friends and family weren’t allowed to speak on her behalf during her whole time at the firm. It must have been heartbreaking to see the RR tear into her with such viciousness and not be able to do anything about it. Meghan had a whole life before the stint at the firm and nothing but praises were sung about her the whole time and we are just supposed to believe that out of the blue this woman became a full-out diva who mistreated her staff. Give me a break.
On a completely unrelated note, the Sussex squad has already raised $10,000 for the baby shower/ Archie’s birthday fundraiser going on this month and it’s only been a day. They wanted to raise $10,000 each for 4 different charities and they’re almost there. The charities are: Homeboy Industries, Baby2Baby, Loveland Foundation, and the Mission Continues.
Meghan has earned my utmost respect and admidation. I’m glad I managed to take part in this second baby shower.
I’m planning on donating myself as well. It’s really amazing what the squad has been able to accomplish by simply supporting H&M.
*admiration
I am planning to take part in this it is such a nice thing to do
That’s awesome! I’m going to check it out and donate too.
This makes me so happy! I supported Loveland Foundation in its original form as a onetime fundraiser by Rachel Cargle (and since) and I am SO HAPPY to see such a worthy organization get the extra support the Sussexes can bring. Loveland is truly changing lives in a huge way by helping Black women and girls access therapy.
Me too Tarabest! I am a South East Asian but BLM and Meghan’s work has really inspired me to be an ally.
Be happy Megs and haz
.
There’s a plug for his summer theater camp too…which I don’t mind lol. Now if he’d said something negative it’d be another story.
Yeah, this feels like a stretch on his part, just trying to get his name and his camp/business out there. I definitely do not believe the bullying stories, but if he hasn’t seen her in 20 years, what would he know? People do change, especially from high school to age 40. Her more-current friends and coworkers statements feel more valid to me, but good on him for confirming she never was like that.
It was up to the reporter/editor to ask about his professional life and put in the plugs. Why would he not tell them what he does for a living?
I married a lovely man from a difficult family and love how Josh worded things. He got it right.
The tabloids used her so-called “best friend” from high school to trash her and claim she was “obsessed” about the royals because she read a book about Diana. The presumption being that your childhood friends know the “real” you. So I think its good they have another old friend who has a different perspective from that other two faced witch.
I actually agree with you @FancyPants! Sure, I’m glad she still has support from her high school boyfriend, BUTTT what does he know?
These tabloids are reaching.
Luckily he didn’t sell her out and got to plug his business.
My comment moved. But I said, I disagree because he was actually able to speak to her relationship with her dad and noted that it was challenging when she was a teen. So Markle’s crap about how her being a duchess changed her was and is just him being full of it.
Yes — agree that even though he may not know much about who she is as a person NOW, the fact that he can attest to her good and kind character from way back when is validating.
A very smart and insightful man.
The high school boyfriend shed some light on Meghan’s relationship with Bad Dad saying space is necessary. Bet the bf can bust up Toxix Tom’s fake image of Father of the Year.
I liked that part a lot. So far none of her current friends can really speak to that relationship.
I disagree. He was also able to talk about Thomas Markle more and I loved how he worded things. Pretty much that relationship was challenging for her as a teen. Saying without saying, that he’s been this way and her becoming a “duchess” didn’t mean all of a sudden she decide to cut out off her father.
Some people accused her of only wanting to associate with white people to make it seem like she turned her back to her black community& roots well that’s not true 1st guy she was ever been with was a black man..
I love this so much.
Get ready for Foxnation on Monday-That turkey neck Piers Morgan is having an interview with Tucker Carlson-Sussex Squad put your big boy pants on to slap the taste out of his mouth.
I saw that. Does this clown Morgan really want Gayle King to call Meghan and ask why she ghosted him? I bet Gayle has the answer. Does Pus want to bring out why he was fired from CNN and Daily Mirror? He was fired from the Mirror for signing off on staged photos of British troops torturing an Iraqi prisoner…and wouldn’t apologize. Dollar bet Meghan’s account with Pus is a MeToo moment.
Good. Another one of Meghan’s friends has chimed in, and this guy had absolutely no reason to do so, he just wanted offer support. I hope she is able to realize that she was in a very little fishbowl in England, and the world at large can sense the b*llsh*t.
ETA: I dream of a life where DB Woodside rushes to my defense.