Meghan Markle branded 'fake' in Instagram video amid 'name dropping accusations'
The Duchess of Sussex thanked singer Billie Eilish for a recent gestureMeghan Markle shared a personal video message to her Instagram this week, thanking a famous singer for her donation amid the LA wildfires.
The Duchess of Sussex thanked Billie Eilish for sending merchandise to a teenage girl, who lost her home and belongings in the wildfires – which began last month in parts of Los Angeles and Southern California.
Meghan, 43, sparked mixed opinions with the video, with some trolls accusing her of “name dropping”. Now, a body language expert has analysed the clip.
Meghan Markle ‘fake’ in Instagram video thanking Billie Eilish
Body language expert Darren Stanton spoke to Royal Insider about Meghan‘s approach in the video. He said her makeup-free appearance is something “people do to make themselves seem more approachable”.
Speaking on behalf of JeffBet, Darren explained: “I feel she’s being quite ungenuine in this video and fake at times.
“She’s not wearing makeup and that’s what people do to make themselves seem more approachable and normal.
“There’s not a single shot or video I’ve seen since she started dating Harry where she’s been this natural looking. Her body language is so far removed from her baseline.”
He went on: “She’s folding her arms, which appears to be defensive and putting her hands to her head, saying ‘Oh wow, this is amazing’ – it’s like a normal person who has no contacts that suddenly gets something from someone famous. But the whole reaction is quite ungenuine for me.”
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Meghan Markle accused of ‘name dropping’ in Instagram video
Some people online have accused Meghan of “name dropping” celebs in the video. As well as thanking Billie, Meghan also thanked Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and his wife Behati Prinsloo for helping her get the message to the Wildflower singer.
Darren added of the accusations: “The name dropping accusations – I mean, she’s very well-known and will be in a position where she can get any merchandise, autograph or anything quite easily so I think she wants to be seen as just one of the people, especially after recent backlash.
“With gestures like when she puts her hand on her forehead in disbelief, that’s not genuine and there are not a lot of genuine expressions in a lot of that video.”
Duchess of Sussex helps teenage girl amid LA wildfires
Meghan posted the video on her recently launched Instagram account on Tuesday (February 4).
In the clip, the duchess explained to her followers: “About two or three weeks ago, when my husband and I were in Altadena, we went to a community where all the homes were left in ashes.
“This mum had found a couple of things and as I was talking to her, I turned and looked and I saw this young woman. I asked her, ‘How old are you?’ She’s 15, and her mum shared with me that when they came back to see their house for the first time, all that she had been looking for was the T-shirt from the Billie Eilish concert that she had just gone to.”
However, the family’s home had been destroyed in the fires meaning the T-shirt had too.
Determined to help, Meghan sent out a voice note to her contacts hoping to connect with the Grammy-winning artist, as she didn’t know her personally.
In a touching move, Birds of a Feather singer Billie responded with a package of signed merchandise for the teen.
In the Instagram video, Meghan gushed: “You guys! I don’t even know what all this stuff means. But it’s signed for her!”
Who is Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex?
Meghan Markle was born on August 4, 1981, in California, United States. She is currently 43 years old. She had a career in acting before marrying into the royal family in 2018.
What did Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex do before joining the monarchy?
Former actress Meghan had a string of acting roles before she met Prince Harry, most famously playing the role of Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits.
Her acting career began at Northwestern University.
The duchess also wrote a lifestyle blog named The Tig and became heavily involved in charity work - which has continued since she met Harry.
Marrying Prince Harry
Meghan married into the royal family on May 19, 2018, when she and Prince Harry tied the knot at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Just a few months after their wedding, Meghan and Harry announced they were expecting their first child. They welcomed Prince Archie on May 6, 2019.
Two years later on June 4, 2021, the couple welcomed a daughter named Princess Lilibet. She was named after the late Queen Elizabeth II - whose nickname was Lilibet.
Months after welcoming son Archie, Prince Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping down from their senior royal roles within the royal family. They then moved to the United States and have lived there since.
Meghan has made a return to the entertainment world, launching projects with Netflix alongside Harry. In January 2025, she announced a lifestyle show named With Love, Meghan, which will see her giving cooking and gardening tips to viewers alongside a host of celebrity guests. It will premiere on March 4, 2025.
She added: “Huge thank you, Billie Eilish. This is going to mean so much to her. And honestly, to Adam Levine and Behati – you guys helped get this over the line.”
What a lovely gesture.
Read more: How Meghan Markle ‘dominated’ Prince Harry in ‘awkward’ appearance: ‘Absolutely absurd’
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