Meghan Markle’s attempt to hit back at the latest allegations about her behaviour towards staff was savaged by a PR expert who said it can be interpreted as a “desperate” move.
The Duchess of Sussex has been on the receiving end of negative publicity recently after fresh claims emerged about her alleged bad behaviour towards staff.
The Hollywood Reporter published a report which cited a current senior staffer who alleged that she acts like a “dictator in high heels” and colleagues are reportedly “terrified” of her and her “belittling” behaviour towards them.
But the report was followed by a cover story by Us Weekly, with several named former and current employees of the Sussexes going on record to defend Meghan, before another negative article was published by the Daily Beast which cited a former courtier who claimed that when the duchess was a working royal she was a “demon” boss who had “psycho moments” during their service and made people “feel like s**t”.
Now a PR expert hit out at the Sussexes’s PR team’s decision to ‘counter-attack’ the allegations and said the move can have an adverse effect than the one it initially aimed for.
Renae Smith, founder and director of The Atticism, told Express.co.uk: “While having named staffers defend Meghan publicly may seem like a tactical response, I don’t think it’s an ideal PR strategy in this case.
“It comes across as reactive and somewhat defensive, which can appear desperate.
“Just because some staff members offer praise doesn’t negate the possibility of negative experiences from others—human behaviour is complex, and even individuals who are difficult in certain contexts can still be admired or liked by others.”
She said that by fighting back “too directly”, Meghan could end up attracting “more attention” to the accusations, which would result in “further scrutiny”, while she also suggested another approach the duchess’s team could have focused on.
Ms Smith explained: “In PR, it’s important to remember that defending personal allegations too directly can inadvertently draw more attention to the accusations themselves, potentially leading to further scrutiny.
“A more effective approach might have been to simply acknowledge the allegations in a more neutral, professional manner without resorting to personal testimonies, while subtly refocusing the narrative on her charitable work or upcoming projects.
“This would have minimised the negative attention and aligned the conversation with her broader public image.”
It follows a string of bullying allegations made against Meghan back in 2018, which she has long and vehemently denied.
The Duchess of Sussex has declined to comment on the latest claims.
