6 Celebrities Who Supported Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Through Their Royal Exit Drama
These 6 Celebrities Have Stood By Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Since Their Royal Departure
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex abdicated from their royal duties in 2020 leaving a deep rift in the royal family. The ex-royals then settled in Montecito, California. As the couple navigated their new lifestyle away from the royal fold, many celebrities offered their assistance, to the Sussexes and forged a deep bond. Here are some of the celebrities who stood by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as they exited the royal family.
1. Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry has been the biggest support system for the Sussexes as they transitioned from being working royals to ex-royals in California. As per Harper's Bazaar, when the Duke and Duchess left the royal family in 2020, the director was the first to offer them a place to reside in his Los Angeles home. In response, Prince Harry and Markle made Perry the godfather to Princess Lilibet in 2021. Perry talked about the experience and his close bond with the Sussexes when he appeared on Let’s Talk Off-Camera With Kelly Ripa podcast. On the show, he revealed the adorable nickname for Princess Lilibet: “Little Lili.” “She’s so adorable,” he said. “Oh, she’s so beautiful. She’s just so beautiful.” “They make beautiful babies—that’s all I’ll say,” Perry said. “They make some beautiful kids. Archie and Lili are beautiful.” “I got the tremendous sense of how overwhelming it all was for her,” During the podcast, Perry recalled the day when he contacted Markle to offer his assistance. “I got the sense that—listen, I know what it’s like to have a father who is not great, so seeing some of the things he was doing, I felt that she was very much isolated and alone.” Reminiscing about the time the couple spent at his home, “Every day that they were there, I looked to see if anything’s happening online. Nothing. They don’t even know,” he said. “So weeks and weeks, they were there. They were so happy.”
2. Oprah Winfrey
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey had an exclusive interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex around a year after they parted ways with the royal family. As per SCMP, together, Harry and Winfrey produced The Me You Can't See, an Apple television documentary series about mental health, in 2019. As per Vanity Fair, when asked whether the ex-royals should attend King Charles III's coronation ceremony, Winfrey said, “I think they should do what they feel is best for them and their family. That's what I think. That's what the bottom line is — it comes down to: What do you feel is the best thing for you?” As per Marca, Recently, Markle and Winfrey's TV executive- Terry Wood were sighted at Studio City, Los Angeles' Asanebo Restaurant. Once again, whispers of a partnership with the media behemoth have been aroused by their private meeting.
3. George & Amal Clooney
George and Amal Clooney welcomed the royal couple to their 25-room opulent Villa Oleandra on Lake Como in Italy, providing a break from the intense media focus in 2018. According to reports, Clooney took the couple on a private plane ride and arranged for an unmarked motorcade to accompany them to the property. Prince Harry and Clooney became friends via their charity endeavors. In addition to co-founding the Clooney Foundation For Justice with his human rights attorney wife Amal, Clooney is also the co-founder of Not on Our Watch, an organization that works to reduce genocide in Sudan.
4. Beyoncé & Jay-Z
In 2019, Beyoncé and Jay-Z honored Markle when they accepted a Brit Award. They referenced their Apesh*t music video, in which they stood, in front of the Mona Lisa when recording their Brit Award acceptance speech for a best international group in front of a photo of Markle. As per BBC, Beyoncé also placed Markle on her website in honor of Black History Month, and she shared the photo, which was created by artist Tim O'Brien, on Instagram in a post from February 2019. She captioned the photo, saying, "We bow down to one of our Melanated Monas in honor of Black History Month. Happy to hear you're expecting! We are really happy for you." In July of that year, the famed couples eventually crossed paths at The Lion King premiere. The Grammy winner passed on words of advice to the new parents saying, "Always find some time for yourself," according to The Daily Mail.
5. Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom
The Sussexes are neighbors of the Blooms in Montecito, California. Prince Harry revealed in a 2021 edition of Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert that he and Bloom, warn one another when the paparazzi lurk nearby. “Just two days ago Orlando Bloom sent me a message because he's down the road and we sort of keep in contact because of the paparazzi”, Prince Harry said. “He sent me a photograph, which his security got, of this long-haired guy with a beanie on, with his AirPods in, with his massive camera lying in the back of his 4x4 truck, blacked-out windows, a woman driving … and he’s laid down in the back of this truck taking photographs of them out with their kid and whoever else is in that area. How is that normal? How is that acceptable?”
6. Ellen DeGeneres
During a 2019 trip to the UK, famed TV host Ellen DeGeneres paid a visit to Prince Harry and Markle. She also revealed to her viewers on an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she had held and fed their son, Archie. “He weighs 15 pounds, which is, the exchange rate, is 17 dollars here!” she joked then. When the former royals were criticized in August 2019 for using private aircraft, DeGeneres defended them. She tweeted on X: “Portia and I met Prince Harry and Meghan in England to talk about their work on wildlife conservation. They were the most down-to-earth, compassionate people. Imagine being attacked for everything you do, when all you’re trying to do is make the world better.” On November 18, Markle made her television debut on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, her first significant appearance since the shocking confession with Winfrey in March.
