All the celebrities that have defended Meghan and Harry following the Oprah interview

What a week it has been for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Since their landmark interview with Oprah Winfrey aired last Sunday, the royal couple has met a number of naysayers and opposition, including most notably Piers Morgan, who stormed off the Good Morning Britain set before quitting the program over his Meghan comments the same day.

Meanwhile, Meghan Markle has received masses of support from a number of high-profile friends and peers since the explosive interview rocked the nation. After shocking revelations about her mental health struggles and accusations of racism, celebrities have been sharing glowing testimonies about their friend.

In the past, the likes of Elton John, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and George Clooney have shown their support for the couple but who has come forward to support the couple since the Oprah interview aired?

Beyoncé

Beyoncé Knowles commended Meghan Markle’s “courage” and “leadership” in a note posted to her website on International Women’s Day. ‘Thank you Meghan for your courage and leadership. We are all strengthened and inspired by you.’ it read.

Of course, it’s not the first time the superstar has made a public show of support for Meghan Markle. Many will remember Beyoncé and Jay Z’s Brit Award acceptance speech in 2019, where they stood in front of a portrait of Markle in an art gallery. Beyoncé and Meghan reportedly first met during the 2019Lion King premiere where the exchange was caught on tape. 

Amanda Gorman

The poet who became a worldwide sensation after speaking at Joe Biden’s inauguration in January said “Meghan was the Crown’s greatest opportunity for change, regeneration, and reconciliation in a new era.”

Serena Williams

Tennis champion Serena Williams is one of Meghan’s close friends and attended the royal wedding in 2018. Following the backlash to the Oprah Winfrey interview, Serena posted a statement to social media praising her “selfless friend.” 

“She teaches me every day what it means to truly be noble,” Serena wrote. “Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she’s experienced. I know first hand the sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people of colour to minimize us, to break us down and dehumanize us … I want Meghan’s daughter, my daughter, and your daughter to live in a society that is driven by respect.”

Bernice King

The daughter of the late-great Martin Luther King Jr and CEO of his eponymous Centre for Nonviolent Social Change showed her support for Meghan by using the Duchess of Sussex’s name as a hashtag, adding, “We can know racism exists in an institution and still hurt for someone who was hurt by it.”

Patrick J. Adams

Most know that before Meghan Markle was a duchess she was an actress on the hit drama series, Suits. Patrick J Adams — whose character Mike Ross was in a relationship with Meghan’s character Rachel Zane in the popular legal series — has spoken out about Markle’s treatment on social media.

Before the interview even aired he tweeted on Friday, March 5, "It sickened me to read the endless racist, slanderous, click-baiting vitriol spewed in her direction from all manner of media across the UK and the world.”

In the series of passionate tweets, he ended by stating “Find someone else to admonish, berate and torment. My friend Meghan is way out of your league.”

Abigail Spencer

Adams’ fellow co-star of Suits, Abigail Spencer has also publicly backed Markle. Before the interview had aired the actor shared a throwback image of her and Markle together on Instagram. In a lengthy post she shared some of her fondest memories of Meghan, adding “She and Harry are an incredible team. They are dedicating their lives to lifting up and amplifying those who do not have a voice for themselves.”

Janina Gavankar

True Blood actress Janina Gavankar has been Meghan Markle’s friend for 17years. 

The 40-year-old released a number of tweets in support of her friend and recently appeared on This Morning to defend Meghan Markle against bullying accusations released by Buckingham Palace ahead of the Oprah Winfrey interview.

Amidst the media storm, she tweeted: “I have known Meghan for 17 years.

Here’s what she is: kind, strong, open. Here’s what she’s not: “a bully”.

ANY of us who know her, feel the same thing from her broken silence: Relief.

The truth shall set you free.”

Chrissy Teigan

One person who understands the impact of intense media scrutiny is certainly Chrissy Teigan, who tweeted that the Meghan Markle criticism was “hitting too close to home.”

She tweeted: "This Meghan Markle s--t is hitting too close to home for me. These people won’t stop until she miscarries. F--king stop it."

Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock devoted an Instagram post to Meghan Markle following the interview. In the lengthy caption, Pinnock stressed that when you become known to the public “there is no safety net to protect you” from what people say.

“We witness this all the time, particularly concerning women and more to the core, women of colour,” she went on to write. “Meghan has been dragged from the start and we have all witnessed it. I praise her strength and determination for speaking out on her experiences showing the underlying racism lying within the royal establishment.”

Jameela Jamil

It’s been almost a year to the day when actor and presenter Jameela Jamil first defended Meghan Markle against intense media scrutiny.

"I have not in my lifetime seen a woman have to tolerate so much public abuse, slander, and jealousy as I have this incredibly strong, gracious and loving human," Jamil wrote at the time.

Following the fallout from Piers Morgan’s comments regarding Meghan Markle’s mental health, Jameela Jamil shared the impact Morgan’s intense criticism had on her own mental health.

Meena Harris

The niece of vice president Kamala Harris has become an unofficial advocate for all things Meghan Markle in the past week. Harris has shared several posts on Twitter in support of Markle and even renamed the day of the interview being aired ‘Meghan Markle Appreciation Day.’

Gabrielle Union

American actress Gabrielle Union gave a short and to the point assessment of a claim from the palace about Markle being accused of bullying.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey attended the couple’s wedding in 2018 and was been gunning for an exclusive with Harry and Meghan in the year’s since. Before the controversial interview aired this year, the media mogul explained why she supported Harry and Meghan’s decision to leave the UK.

"You know why I support them? I support them because I believe, when you have thought about this as long as they have... who doesn’t feel what that takes to make that decision to give up everything you’ve known your whole life to say ‘I’m going to choose this new life or what I believe to be the truest vision for myself?’"

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