Meghan Markle Accused of 'Grandstanding' in New Video Regarding LA Wildfires and 'Making it All About Herself'
Meghan Markle released a new Instagram post to share a heartwarming story, but now she's drawing criticism for it.
Royal family
Here's why the Duchess of Sussex is being slammed for "grandstanding" after her latest Instagram post.
by Michelle Kapusta
Published on February 5, 2025
Meghan Markleâs name has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the last few weeks. She and Prince Harry were dubbed âdisaster touristsâ when they were seen walking through the Altadena area of Los Angeles County that was destroyed by wildfires. They were also accused of staging a âphoto opâ after visiting an evacuation center in Pasadena with the townâs mayor.Â
The former Suits star made the news again a week later when Vanity Fair published a cover story filled with damning allegations that Meghan mistreats her staffers so much so that they âneeded long-term therapyâ after working for her.
Experts and commentators believed Meghan would lay low for a while but she returned to Instagram with a story about what she did for someone who lost everything in the Eaton Fire that devastated Altadena.
On Feb. 4, Meghan posted a video and shared that she met a 15-year-old in Altadena whose belongings were reduced to ash including her prized Billie Eilish concert T-shirt.
The Duchess of Sussex then explained that she used her celebrity connections (even naming dropping a few) to contact Eilish and get the teen another shirt. Meghan was delighted when the singer sent not one T-shirt, but several as well as some signed merchandise.
While the story is heartwarming, the video rubbed some people the wrong way. And because Meghan has turned off comments on Instagram, they took to X to voice their opinions.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (@meghan)
One user wrote: âMeghan Markle making it all about herself. Someoneâs lost their home and she is gushing about how amazing she is for getting them some signed merch. This disaster tourism has now turned into disaster merching.â
A second agreed, saying: âSheâs egocentric, egotistical, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, selfish, narcissistic woman, makes everything come back around to #MeMe.â
A third person commented: âHow completely tone-deaf is this ⊠and Iâm sure itâs all a PR fabrication sheâs spewing to try and turn the tide on her popularity and career train wreck.â
Another person fumed: âSo tone-deaf and disgusting.â
And a fifth asked: âWhy not just do a good deed and not make a video about it? â
Meghan Markle visits area of Altadena destroyed by the Eaton Fire | Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty ImagesGiven the backlash the Instagram post received, Express asked an expert to weigh in with their thoughts on Meghanâs decision to post a video like this.
Renae Smith, founder and director of The Atticism, told the publication: âFrom a PR perspective, Iâm not personally a fan of Meghanâs latest video. While I believe her actions were genuinely kindâsheâs not a monster, after allâthe issue here is all about perception. Sheâs just come under fire (literally and figuratively) for being accused of making the LA fires about herself, and now this video, while well-intentioned, could easily be seen as grandstanding.â
Smith continued: âI do believe Meghan was genuinely happy about receiving the delivery and gifting the Billie Eilish merch to the girl affected by the fires. But given her reputation and the existing narrative that sheâs self-absorbed, posting a video like this only feeds into that perception.
âItâs a delicate balance: if her social media is meant to be authentic and unapologetically âher,â then fineâit doesnât necessarily help repair her reputation, but perhaps thatâs not the goal. The real question is whether sheâs interested in shifting the narrative or just living authentically online. If I were advising her professionally, Iâd suggest either not posting the video or framing it differently to avoid reinforcing negative perceptions.â
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