Meghan Markle's former colleagues claim the Duchess of Sussex can be standoffish and refuse to reveal a penny to staff if “things don't go well,” according to a new report.
It was “actually, literally, very scary. Very painful,” the unnamed employee who works with Markle on media campaigns claimed to Vainness Honest in an exposé revealed Friday.
“Because she played a lot of checkers — I wouldn't even say chess — but she was very aware of where everyone was on the board. If you didn't end up making the cut, you could always be thrown to the wolves.”
The employee acknowledged that the “right” employee could be enthusiastic when first hired, but allegedly would lose her temper if her or her husband Prince Harry's demands were not met.
In one case, the staffer noted, a trailer for Markle's now-defunct podcast “Archetypes” was launched in March 2022, five months before the show premiered, and without any commercial segments. The Spotify deal was eventually unwound in June 2023.
Media Initiative staff added that Markle could “undermine” her colleagues.
“It's talking behind your back again. It's eating away at your sense of self. In fact, it's like the teenagers on 'Cue Lady,'” the source said.
Still, producer Jane Marie, who worked with the Sussexes on the audio project at Archewell, countered that Markle was “just a beautiful, real person”.
A representative for Markle did not immediately respond to Page Six's request for comment.
This isn't the first time Markle's former staffers have shared conflicting experiences with the media.
Markle, 43, has been accused of bullying royal staff and in September he was slammed as a “dictator in heels” who left “grown men in tears” in another bombshell incident.
“She puts people down and doesn’t take advice,” a source told The Hollywood Reporter at the time, which also included Harry, 40. “They are terrible decision-makers and they keep changing their minds.
“Harry is a very, very charming person – no airs in any way – but he is very much an enabler. He or she is simply terrifying.”
Later that month, The Daily Beast spoke with former employees who had both tragic and upbeat experiences working for the Sussexes.
One source said: “If you worked for her you were generally treated like a businessman and he was probably treated like shit.”
“I've always thought she was a basic narcissist, and having her staff tell (a magazine) how great she is hardly confirms my thoughts,” another insider agreed. “She's beautiful when things go her way, but when the worm goes bad, she becomes a demon.”
Still, a third acknowledged that Markle and Harry's controversial exit from the royal family may have affected how they are viewed by many members of the public and those who work for them.
An aide claimed: “There have been a lot of tough royals over time and I do think Meghan's unhealthy moments have been amplified, distorted and exaggerated since her exit.”
In October 2022, Markle admitted that she could be “explicit” but dismissed “the illusion that it was offensive to a black lady.”
She mentioned on “Archetypes” at the time, “You can set boundaries. You can speak clearly. It doesn't make you demanding. It doesn't make you strong. It makes you clear.”
Harry wrote in his memoir, “Backup,” that Markle was a model boss who “checked on sick staff and sent baskets of meals, flowers or sweets to anyone who was struggling, depressed or sick.”
