Patrick Adams: The royal family’s dynamic is ‘at worst, seemingly archaic & toxic’

'Suits' film still

Patrick J. Adams worked with then-Meghan Markle on Suits for seven seasons. On-screen, they were love interests, and off-screen, they became good friends. When Meghan married Prince Harry, she invited Patrick and almost all of the tight-knit Suits cast to her wedding. All of her friends and coworkers seemed so pleased for her, and there was evidence that those friends and work colleagues were quietly supporting her behind the scenes and simply trying to avoid getting dragged into the psychodrama playing out in the British media. Now that Meghan and Harry are speaking out to Oprah, her friends feel free to speak out too. Patrick was one of the first to get the ball rolling on Friday, at the end of a week which saw the British royal family, British media and British establishment line up to launch one of the most half-assed smear campaigns and oppo-dumps I’ve ever seen. Patrick did this as a Twitter thread, so I’ll just cut-and-paste to make it more concise:

Meghan Markle and I spent the better part of a decade working together on Suits. From day one she was an enthusiastic, kind, cooperative, giving, joyful and supportive member of our television family. She remained that person and colleague as fame, prestige and power accrued. She has always been a powerful woman with a deep sense of morality and a fierce work ethic and has never been afraid to speak up, be heard and defend herself and those she holds dear. Like the rest of the world, I have watched her navigate the last few years in astonishment.

She fell in love, moved to a new country, became a household name across the entire globe and began the difficult work of trying to find her place in a family dynamic that can at best be described as complicated and at worst, seemingly archaic and toxic.

It sickened me to read the endless racist, slanderous, clickbaiting vitriol spewed in her direction from all manner of media across the UK and the world but I also knew that Meghan was stronger than people realized or understood and they would regret underestimating her.

And then they welcomed Archie. And on any sort of decent planet that would be a time to stop sharpening the knives and let these two people enjoy the magical early months and years of starting a family. But we don’t live on that planet and instead the hunt continued.

It’s OBSCENE that the Royal Family, who’s newest member is currently GROWING INSIDE OF HER, is promoting and amplifying accusations of “bullying” against a woman who herself was basically forced to flee the UK in order [to] protect her family and her own mental health. IMO, this newest chapter and it’s timing is just another stunning example of the shamelessness of an institution that has outlived its relevance, is way overdrawn on credibility and apparently bankrupt of decency.

Find someone else to admonish, berate and torment. My friend Meghan is way out of your league.

[From Patrick Adams’ Twitter]

I think I love him? What a great guy. I’ve been thinking about this royal situation so much and how it’s “playing” in North America and the UK. It’s one thing to believe that we here in America love Meghan because she’s one of us, an American girl. But something else that should not be underestimated is how much support Harry is getting from other men, men who are horrified that a pregnant woman has been and is being abused, bullied, smeared and maligned. That’s what Patrick’s tweet-rant reminded me of – how so many men understand why Harry did what he had to do to protect Meghan and their family, and why Meghan and Harry are speaking out now.

avalon-0356297037

Royal wedding

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

63 Responses to “Patrick Adams: The royal family’s dynamic is ‘at worst, seemingly archaic & toxic’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Levans says:

    Everyone needs a friend like this! A brilliant and effective defense. Kudos to him

    • Aphra says:

      WOW!

    • Q says:

      Yep. I could cry.
      What the BRF along with the British media have done to that woman is inhumane.

    • Madelaine says:

      His exacting moral standards and loyalty to their friendship is exactly what Harry, Megh and the unborn baby need right now. People to shield them from the calculated vicious attacks. The loosely royal “family” is ruthless: these hateful racists really mean blood (a late abortion perhaps?)
      Patrick Adams counter attack is strategically much welcome: aside from the fact that I could snack on his naked torso every second afternoon if permitted to, I can’t help but noticing that he is actually prophesying the demise of the English monarchy. And we are all eye witnesses to the historical momentum that will bring it about: the inextricably paradoxical positioning of an institution that claims sovereignty over the Commonwealth, a shitty remainder of postcolonialism representing the most ethnically diverse populations of one fourth of the planet, while proving so despicably belligerent with a woman who embodies the diversity they are purported to acknowledge and honor. Patrick is bluntly point out that it’s just a matter of time before this monarchy crumbles under the weight of its inner contradictions.
      Archie 1- Monarchy 0

      • Carmen-JamRock says:

        Oh dear. Wrong choice of words. An abortion is an intentional act. I think the word you mean is miscarriage.

      • Holly says:

        @carmen-jamrock “spontaneous abortion” is a medical term for a miscarriage so it still works.

      • Madelaine says:

        @carmen-jamrock + @Holy: Yes, I meant miscarriage / spontaneous abortion, for sure.

    • MF1 says:

      Yes, for all the white men out there: this is how you do allyship.

    • Mika says:

      Patrick J. Adams is a lovely man. We had the same high school drama teacher growing up, and when he’s in Toronto, he always visits her and talks to her classes.

  2. local russian hill says:

    wow good for him. so well said. the royal family is doing what typical abusers do, blaming the victim. gaslighting 101.

  3. Seraphina says:

    He is awesome and so is what he wrote. Kudos to him and stepping up to do what is right.

  4. Em says:

    Love him for this. Loved him before, but what a great person to come forward. He’s the start of a very popular show, but doesn’t have ‘anything to lose’ in the sense of pissing off people who matter to him. So he could just really dig in. I love that he did not hold back.

  5. Lemons says:

    So glad he called them out like this. You can tell Meghan’s friends have seen it all and are fed up. Everyone is fed up of the lies and the smearing.

    • Becks1 says:

      That’s definitely what you can tell happened here – that he had been wanting to say something for years now and he finally just got fed up and let it all out there. He’s getting a lot off his chest here.

    • MA says:

      I find it amazing that all her friends, all the disparaged “gauche Hollywood actors” had more grace and class throughout the past 5 years than the snobbish British media, courtiers, and royals. They held their tongues out of respect for Meghan and her position until she made the choice to break her silence. As Janina said, they are relieved that the truth is finally coming out.

      • Dlc says:

        MA, yes! Excellent point. I also love that he said straight out it was obscene. Because it is. These bullying claims are indecent and obscene. Thattheonlyroyla they are investigating is the Black woman?

  6. Beatz says:

    I find it funny how the Royal Family thinks of themselves as important. I don’t see them being relevant and agree that they are archaic.

  7. Jais says:

    He did not hold back and I love it. Also really happy Kaiser posts for us on sundays!

  8. L84Tea says:

    It was a thing of beauty. Watching all her friends come out to show support was incredible to watch. It was like shaking a bottle of champagne. Once the cork blew off it was a tsunami. Regardless of all the salty haters still out there complaining, it finally feels like the tide has turned in a way that it can’t go back. The Royals are exposed in such a bad way. Who would want to work with them now (besides thirsty Brits)??

  9. Over it says:

    I think I am head over heels for him. The world needs more Patrick’s. Also Kaiser in your other post about cannot and will not, are you implying the gods gift to perfection don’t actually work? Well color me blind. Lol.

    Meghan and Harry:: we have a project we would like to rollout by April, sorry if we sends you lots of back and forth emails but time is of the essence we want it completed and flawless.

    William and Kate:::: Dear staff we going dark for a while , peace out

    Staff :::::: About H and M groan, work? They except us to come to work and actually work?

    Staff:::::: About w and k . Great, 3 more months of paid vacation. Love working for these 2. Now we can surf the internet uninterrupted.

  10. Jessie says:

    His post almost brought tears to my eyes. We need more of this: high-profile names calling out the BRF’s DISGUSTING bullying/gaslighting of a heavily pregnant woman who after 5 years is finally saying enough is enough. I’m glad Meg has friends like this, and I’m glad she knows that more than ever people see what that cult of a family has done to her. Even here in the UK people have woken up to how goddamn similar the BRF and the cult of Scientology are. Yeah, the same racist pieces of scum who actually believe what they read in Rupert Murdoch outlets will never change their minds but despite overall perception they DO NOT speak for the majority. Meghan and Harry have so much love and support in this country and it’s beautiful to see.

    • UptownGirl says:

      @ Jessie, I am always curious as to what Brits actually think about what has happened to the treatment of Meghan. Thank you for your insight!!

  11. FancyPants says:

    Wow he really nailed it! The BRF has no excuse.

  12. Escondista says:

    I think people don’t just see her as an American girl… I really think they see her as Diana in the sense that she entered a malicious family and was unwilling to be emotionless and obedient *cough*.
    I also think most of us can relate because we enter our marriages hoping that we get a kind new family who appreciates our gifts and forgives our failings and many know what it’s like to deal with tension and frustration from our in-laws rather than love and support.

  13. MellyMel says:

    He said what needed to be said!

  14. harla says:

    I have read all of the posts written by Meghan’s friends and co-workers defending her and I’m so thrilled that their voices are being heard.

  15. Lesley says:

    Good for Patrick! So nice to see that even though he’ll get horrible hate mail for doing this he has still stood up for Meghan.

    Well done sir! And thank you for supporting your friend!

  16. Lyra says:

    Very well said Patrick! What a brave and great man. Now I’d love to see other celebrities calling the royal family on their shit.

  17. Sarah says:

    As a fellow Canadian, I totally agree with Patrick about the irrelevancy of the monarchy. It’s time Canada severed its ties with it.

    • Izzy says:

      As a fellow Canadian who lives in the US, I agree wholeheartedly. I hope Canada leaves the Commonwealth soon. Also, it was hilarious to watch Twidiots yesterday trying to “gotcha” Patrick for sticking his American nose in, and people were all “No he is Canadian and a Commonwealth citizen so STFU.”

      • Carmen-JamRock says:

        To be fair, and speaking as a citizen of a commonwealth country, it is not necessary to leave the c’wealth in order to reject the british monarchy. As its name suggests, The Commonwealth of Nations is a group of countries (54) that share a common past (colonization by britain) that came together in their post-colonial world to pursue economic and other opportunities within and between themselves. Many of said c’wealth countries hv already removed the british monarch as their head of state (38 & counting.)

    • Nic919 says:

      Another Canadian and former neighbour of Patrick, since he lived in my building when he worked here, and since the Queen is still the head of state here, although just a symbol, there is added heft to his words about the irrelevancy of monarchy. The British royal family are just that, British, not Canadian, so it always seemed really stupid when she or another royal would come to visit and then we get reminded that she is also queen of Canada. It’s pointless because Canada is running just fine without any input from her.

      There is no reverence for them here and so their overt racist actions are going to be criticized. I can only imagine how hard it is to stay quiet if you are one of Meghan’s friends because the constant attempts to destroy her character are enraging.

      I don’t think this interview will be as critical of the individuals as they seem to believe, but I am glad Patrick was able to make his feelings known. When you work with someone for years and with the long hours they do, you know when someone is an asshole. And she clearly never was the evil woman the UK tabloids want to paint her as.

      • Lorelei says:

        That’s something that has driven me insane for the past four years— the way people eat up these stories about how horrible Meghan is with zero critical thinking.
        If she’s such a demonic bully, why is she still friends with colleagues a decade later? How is she able to sustain friendships from high school? Why has absolutely no one else she’s ever worked with in any capacity spoken up to corroborate these claims about what a “bully” she is?
        If people would use their fcking brains for one second, it’s clear that these stories are only being published in trashy British tabloids carrying out the BRF’s agenda and deserve no credence at all.

    • Margot says:

      Also a Canadian and I applaud Patrick’s statement. The more the royals dig in on their abuse of Meghan, the worse they look. Irrelevant, archaic, clinging to any power they still have.

  18. Elsa says:

    Patrick’s wife is also biracial and famous (not as famous as Meghan but still). I think this is personal to him beyond his loyalty to Meghan.

    • Yup, Me says:

      I came to say the same thing. I wonder what conversations have been going on between him and his wife and possibly also his inlaws (Troian’s mother is also a Black woman who was in the industry as well).

    • sunny says:

      Yes! I thought this when I read his statement as well. Also, he is a father and his wife was pregnant with their child just around the time Meghan and Harry got married. I’m sure he has has THOUGHTS about this whole bs situation for awhile.

  19. Liz version 700 says:

    That was amazing. Not one wasted word just all gunpowder and matches. Very very well said and I could not agree more. I agree with the other posters who said they feel a tide turning. The past couple of weeks there has been a huge shift in the perception of W&K and H&M. None of the Cambridge Stans changed their mind of course, but people who were neutral have become engaged in the story and are not impressed with the Royals. I think the combination of vocal support from friends of H&M, general support from a lot of Americans and the brilliant PR strategy of Prince Ragey Pants has forever altered the perception of how this went down. All of this mind you, BEFORE the interview that is being watched by hundreds of millions of people….

  20. Sofia says:

    Yes Patrick! Very well said!

  21. ellie says:

    Yesss Patrick go off! Such a well worded reaponse and how cool of him to stand up for Meghan.

  22. Call_me_al says:

    How much would you pay to see and hear Wills and Charles as they read this?

  23. Myra says:

    He really said what we were all thinking. I’m sure the BM will come for him soon enough.

    • Liz version 700 says:

      Agreed, and then he can tell them what he thinks done more. He is very well spoken lol I am betting Will had to look up some of the words.

  24. Katy says:

    This here is a good man, an ally in its truest form, and the kind of friend we all need! Well done. Good for Patrick! I love that he called out not just the disgusting media over there, but also the actual royal family! Read them all for filth.

    I also saw that Chrissy Tiegen tweeted that it’s like they wanted Megs to miscarry (again) and it just broke my heart. Knowing what Chrissy herself just went through. It just echoes what we are all thinking, this woman is like 7 months pregnant and had a loss last year, and yet they are hounding her relentlessly with these bs stories. Despicable.

    She’s also mentioned in the past that Meghan is a sweetheart, from back to their days on deal or no deal and she had nothing bad to say about her.

    Kaiser, you should do a round up of all of her friends and colleagues coming forward (mostly on Twitter) to defend her. Nice counter programming and show that there is support for her. Not just amplify those racist across the pond.

    Some of them have been truly moving. And those are credible people who have known her from college, from her time on Suits, her charity work, and in show biz. I don’t think enough can be said about how the bullying accusations (vague as they are) are seriously racist. I’m sure working for everyone in that (white) family is not pleasant at times. As soon as the Black duchess wants her white staff to work, she’s a bully. I find it so peculiar how only Meg is being held to this alleged HR standard, so much so there’s an investigation 🙄. Disgusting. The story earlier about how William is hard to work for and he himself is a bully is interesting since somehow Place HR as yet to begin an investigation into him. What a clown show.

    I love that all her friends and people who have worked with her are coming out to vouch for her character, work ethic and tell personal stories about their experiences. It’s speaks volumes about the smear job and how it’s all made up. Even when Kate’s friends speak about her it’s always in shady ways like the Tatler article or from her mother talking about she’s sounded by goodness lol

  25. Eleonor says:

    ” it’s timing is just another stunning example of the shamelessness of an institution that has outlived its relevance, is way overdrawn on credibility and apparently bankrupt of decency”.
    PREACH.
    But the RF still hasn’t understood thy are not relevant anymore.

  26. Vanessa says:

    I’m so happy to see so many of Meghan friends and colleagues stand up for her one of those racist royal reporters said when Meghan five friends defend oh Meghan has friends they knew what they were doing . that’s why this latest smeared campaign backfired on the royal family and the Uk press because now because Meghan friends are able to talk and tell the truth . Now there real pushback the royals family and their lackeys thought that they would be able to pull the same stunts over here got their ass handed to them so many high profile people are speaking out about their abuse of Meghan .

  27. Lilly (with the double-L) says:

    Please white men with power by, being a white male, take note of how you defend/ally with your BIPOC friends and co-workers.

  28. Mimi says:

    That’s what you call a TRUE friend!

  29. Cel2495 says:

    I love that he is supporting her. His post is gold!

  30. Lissdogmom02 says:

    He is the best. I love him for this. It’s nice to see her supported.

  31. MF1 says:

    That’s a really good point about how much support Harry is getting from other men. Harry stood up for his wife and son, protected them from abuse, and showed he had the balls to walk away from his own family for their wellbeing. I can see how men in the U.S. really respect the strength he showed.

  32. BlueToile says:

    Does anyone think for a second that Kate has even one friend who would come to her defense like this? I think this shows that Meg has spent her life cultivating healthy and happy friendships. Just throwing this out there…

  33. MA says:

    It’s pathetic how the strongest public defense of Meghan all these years has from been her former Suits colleague on Twitter and not from you know the supposed most revered institution in Britain. Also did anyone spot that Meghan’s ex-husband’s family friend even defend her??

    It really needs to be emphasized how unusual this is. When Ellen faced her toxic workplace accusations, she did not receive public support from her Hollywood friends. Same with Lea Michele’s bullying controversy, even her famous bffs were silent since she’s a notorious b*tch. When a celebrity has a scandal, most of their celebrity either know those allegations are probably true or want to stay out of it, and very few will defend them.

    Compare that to Meghan’s friends who, unprompted by any media inquiry or interviewer, on their own platforms posted heartwarming tributes of her. This shows they are 100% certain in her character, having seen her interact with cast members, crew, staff and also know the real BS that has been going on behind the scenes all these years. They are staking their personal and professional reputations on her. All you can say is that she really must be an amazing friend.

    • Exactly MA. And I love how they are now able to have their say under their own names. Each one of them must know that they are going to be vilified and dragged by a certain group of royal rabids, but they speak anyway.

      • MA says:

        @Lowcountry Lady I was especially touched that her friends who are not celebrities (her producer friend and Lindsay) even posted and exposed themselves to harassment and trolls they would not be used to dealing with unlike someone like Patrick. I don’t even blame Meghan’s friends if they don’t speak out, they have to protect their own families and livelihoods, but even Misha Nonoo did on her business page. I was shocked that even Meghan’s FACIALIST, a white lady with a business in LONDON with no doubt a posh clientele, even supported Meghan on her page! Again, at the risk of facing the insane Mugxit trolls and harming their businesses. Maybe I’m feeling soft this morning but that sort of sacrifice has me teary eyed.

  34. BountyHunter says:

    What a lovely, stand up fellow. 💛

  35. Hotblacktea says:

    I say all the royals should be stripped of their privileges, even Meghan and Harry. So out of date and the Brit don’t need them for “cultural and tourism” benefits. They can get a far better deal directing the money elsewhere.

    His partner looks like Noomi Rapace.

  36. Monica says:

    I watched Suits for several seasons and Meghan caught my attention. Her charisma popped off the screen and I thought, vaguely, “this chick is going places.” LOL I had no idea. If your co-workers are willing to stand up for you and brave the mob, you’re gold.