Meghan Markle knows controversy follows her wherever she goes, however, she doesn't believe that backlash is warranted. In a recent interview during the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, Meghan revealed she feels liberated from her detractors and is determined to make the world a better place, especially online.
"We have got to all put our stock in something that is true, and we need to have reliable media and news sources that are telling us the truth…when you know something is wrong, report it, talk about it," Meghan said of the rapid spread of misinformation online. "It’s like we live in the future when you’re talking about bots and trolls and all of these things."
Meghan, of course, is no stranger to misinformation online and how it can bleed into your real, every day life. "It seems so fantastical, but that’s actually the current state of affairs and that is shaping how we interact with each other online and off — and that’s the piece that’s important," she said. "It is not just an isolated experience. It transcends into how you interact with anyone around you and certainly your own relationship with yourself."
Meghan, who faced extreme criticism from the British tabloid press while living in England, said she tries to navigate those unfortunate experiences by having a "sense of humor" about rumors she knows to be untrue. Despite knowing the truth of things, the Duchess of Sussex admits that, due to how rapidly misinformation spreads, maintaining that sense of humor can be difficult because the situation does have "a bit of gravity."
She also urges people to listen to what she actually says, rather than read the criticism that comes after she makes a public appearance. "If you listen to what I actually say, it's not controversial," she said.
"The moment that you're able to be liberated from all these other opinions of what you know to be true, then I think it's very easy to live with truth and live with authenticity," she shared. 'That's how I choose to move through the world." She also shared an inspiration quote from Georgia O'Keefe, which she hung in her childhood bedroom, that helps her keep a clear head: "I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free."
Meghan also spoke about the ongoing pandemic and social justice protests happening in the United States, calling this year "a moment of reckoning — and probably a re-evaluation of what really matters" for many people. "For me, it’s been amazing to spend time with my husband and watch our little one grow and that’s where our attention has been," she said. "In addition to, of course, how we can be a part of the change of energy that so many people are craving right now and whatever we can do to help in that capacity."
Photo: Fortune