It’s fascinating, and maybe a little exhausting, how certain stories attach themselves to a public figure and never let go. No matter what they do or say, these narratives linger in the background, shaping how people see them. For Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, that’s definitely the case. A whole ecosystem of rumors has grown up around her, from the very beginning of her relationship with Prince Harry to her life today. Some feel like wild conspiracy theories, while others… well, they just have a strange staying power. Let’s wade into a few of the most persistent ones.
The Question of How It All Began
The official story of Meghan and Harry’s meet-cute is a perfect, almost storybook blind date. But of course, in the world of royal gossip, nothing is ever that simple. The rumor mill suggests Meghan might have had a hand in orchestrating it. It’s a classic trope, right? The ambitious actress plotting her way into the palace. This theory directly contradicts what Meghan herself said in their engagement interview, where she claimed she knew very little about Harry or the royals and learned everything from him.
But then you have biographers quoting old friends who say the exact opposite—that she was “always fascinated by the royal family” and even wept during Princess Diana’s funeral. One of the more elaborate, and frankly wild, rumors suggests she wore Diana’s perfume and similar clothing on that first date to subconsciously appeal to him. It’s a lot to unpack. On one hand, it seems perfectly normal for anyone to be aware of the most famous family in the world. On the other, it creates this narrative of a calculated first impression, which is a hard idea to shake once it’s out there.
Family Secrets and Palace Tensions
Then there’s the rumor about a secret past. Before her marriage to producer Trevor Engelson, some speculate there was another, earlier husband—a lawyer named Joseph Goldberg-Giuliano—and even a secret child. The supposed evidence is incredibly thin, often hinging on a misunderstood comment from a former acquaintance or the relationship with her niece, Noelle. Noelle herself has been a staunch defender of her aunt, which only adds more layers to the confusing speculation. It’s the kind of rumor that feels almost impossible to definitively prove or disprove, which is probably why it persists.
Perhaps the most documented area of rumor involves her relationships within the royal family, particularly with Catherine, Princess of Wales. It’s often presented as a feud, though we’ll never truly know the private dynamics. The stories are conflicting, which is telling. Was it about a flower girl’s dress? Who made whom cry? The versions are diametrically opposed. Prince Harry’s book, “Spare,” added more fuel, detailing a heated argument where William allegedly pointed his finger at Meghan. These stories paint a picture of a tense household, with staff allegedly picking sides and a palpable rift forming that ultimately contributed to their decision to step back. The narrative of a bitter rivalry between the two duchesses is a tabloid staple that seems permanently etched in the public consciousness.
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Life After the Palace: New Rumors for a New Chapter
Leaving royal life didn’t quiet the rumors; it just created new categories for them. Claims of bullying behavior towards staff emerged, centering on a leaked email from their communications secretary. These are serious allegations that the palace reportedly looked into, and they stand in stark contrast to the polished, compassionate image Meghan often projects.
On an even more personal and bizarre level, there are persistent whispers that she did not carry her children herself, but used a surrogate. This theory, often pushed by her sister Samantha, is particularly tenacious online despite being continually debunked. It speaks to a desire in some corners to delegitimize her role in the family in a very fundamental way.
Now, the rumors are about their commercial ventures and finances. Are their Netflix shows authentic, or is her lifestyle brand a carefully staged fiction? Critics call it all too glossy and controlled, lacking the authenticity audiences crave. And with the end of their Spotify deal and rumors of staff cuts, the narrative has shifted to them being “grifters” who are running out of money and options. This naturally fuels the biggest rumor of all: that the pressure will lead to a divorce, especially if Harry ever wants to reconcile with his family. They publicly deny it, of course, but the speculation is a constant background hum.
In the end, these rumors are less about proven facts and more about perception. They form a cloud of “what ifs” and “some people says” that Meghan, it seems, will never fully escape, no matter what she does next.
Did Meghan have a secret husband (and child)?
Before meeting Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle had already been married and divorced. She began dating Hollywood producer Trevor Engelson in 2004; they married in 2011, separated after two years, and then divorced in 2014. However, some people believe that Meghan was actually married and divorced before that, but has kept it a secret.
It’s rumored that Boston criminal defense lawyer Joseph Goldberg-Giuliano is Meghan’s secret ex-husband. Rumors circled tabloids that the pair had a two-year relationship, but it is not mentioned anywhere that they had a marriage. That’s where the speculation begins, with netizens even claiming Meghan had a secret child with Joseph. Internet sleuths believe that Meghan’s niece, Noelle Rasmussen (daughter of Meghan’s sister Samantha), is actually her daughter. Noelle hasn’t publicly commented on this, but she has been a vocal defender of Meghan and has been estranged from her own mother since she was a child.
Noelle told The Sunday Mirror in 2018, “I’ve always really looked up to her, like a big sister I never had. She took me shopping for kids books and clothes.” The rumors were exacerbated when one X user (formerly Twitter) found footage of actor Paula Trickey discussing Meghan in 2019. Trickey, who attended a 2008 celebrity golf tournament with Meghan, commented on how unusual it was for Meghan to become a royal. “She’s been married, she already has a kid with someone, already divorced,” said Trickey, which was enough to pour fuel on the fire at the rumor mill.
How did the Meghan & Kate feud begin?
Ever since Meghan Markle began dating Prince Harry, rumors proliferated that members of the royal family have expressed varying levels of disapproval. The most rapacious royal rumor revolves around Catherine, Princess of Wales, known colloquially as Kate Middleton. There’s a long, fraught history between Meghan and Princess Catherine, which hints at a feud or, at the very least, some simmering jealousies, to the extent that The New York Times even covered their dueling Instagram accounts.
Apparently, it all began over a child’s dress. Meghan and Harry’s wedding was a royal affair, and as such, it included Catherine and Prince William’s children; Prince George was a pageboy, and Princess Charlotte was a bridesmaid. Despite the extravagant, significant nature of the wedding, some things were still rushed to the last minute, including dress alterations, which supposedly resulted in a poorly fitted dress for little Charlotte. “There was an argument between Meghan and Kate over the fit,” one source told People. “Everything was left to the last minute, and it was really stressful for everyone involved.” As a result, Catherine was “left in tears.”
Well, that’s one rumor. In Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Meghan and Harry, Meghan claimed the opposite. “The reverse happened … And it made me cry and it really hurt my feelings,” said Meghan. “What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that not only I didn’t do, but that happened to me.” We still don’t know which version is true.
Do Meghan and Kate still hate each other?
The wedding incident initiated a lengthy timeline of rumors regarding a rift between Meghan Markle and Princess Catherine. Some rumors feel all but substantiated, while others are dubious at best. Perhaps the most legitimate rumors come straight from the proverbial horse’s mouth, as it were, with Prince Harry’s pretty shady book, “Spare.” He writes that, following the wedding, Meghan and Harry had a contentious meeting with Catherine and Prince William. Catherine sought an apology for Meghan supposedly stating that she had “baby brain,” with Catherine shouting, “We’re not close enough for you to talk about my hormones!” It came to a head when William pointed at Meghan and said, “It’s rude, Meghan,” to which Meghan retorted, “Kindly take your finger out of my face.”
Rumors then spread that staff at Kensington Palace began picking sides among the four royals, with Harry writing that the atmosphere became “poisoned.” Harry and Meghan’s decision to leave and recant their “royal duties” only aggravated the reported rift between the two couples. One source told the Daily Mail, “Kate is furious about the larger workload. ‘Of course she’s smiling and dressing appropriately but she doesn’t want this. She feels exhausted and trapped.'” While Meghan and Catherine haven’t spoken out, internet sleuths and royal obsessives try to make mountains out of molehills. There are countless rumors that interpret small gestures and comments as attempts for Catherine to upstage Meghan, or for Meghan to twist the knife into Catherine.
Where does Meghan stand with Prince William and Pippa?
If you believe the rumors, then Princess Catherine is certainly not the only member of the royal family who has problems with Meghan Markle. Many people have come to believe that Catherine’s sister, Pippa Middleton, has personally disliked the future Duchess of Sussex since the beginning. Rumors first emerged with Pippa’s wedding on May 20, 2017, when Meghan and Harry were forced to be separate, supposedly so as not to distract from the bride’s day. As the rumor goes, Meghan was even uninvited from the main church ceremony at the last minute, leading to all sorts of negative speculation. Others have suggested that one of the main reasons Meghan and Pippa don’t get along is because the former has been trying to use the latter to get into Catherine’s good graces.
The rumors get more vicious when it comes to Prince William. One alleged former courtier told Cosmopolitan, “He loathes and despises Harry and Meghan with every bone in his body, he believes they have betrayed everything the family stands for.” Despite recent rumors of a royal reconciliation in August 2025, royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News that William would never “welcome back” Harry and Meghan. A legal battle between Harry and King Charles III over the stripping away of royal titles from Harry and Meghan has only divided the royals further, with rumors that King Charles is done with Prince Harry altogether.
Is Meghan Markle a bully?
Before the so-called “Megxit” of 2020, in which Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped back from their royal roles as senior members of the family, the pair lived at Kensington Palace with their family. While there, it’s been said that Markle behaved like a bully and treated staff and others with a royally rude attitude, resulting in the resignations of numerous aides and staff. The floodgate for these rumors wouldn’t be lifted until after Megxit, though. The Times royal correspondent Valentine Low explained on the “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered” podcast that it took people time to go public because they were very worried about what Meghan would “do to them,” and “viewed her capacity for revenge as infinite.”
The first big bombshell came when The Times leaked an October 2018 email from Meghan and Harry’s communications secretary at the time, Jason Knauf, after he had conversations with the head of HR, Samantha Carruthers. “I am very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of [redacted] was totally unacceptable,” wrote Knauf in his complaint. “The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behavior towards Y.” While others have, of course, refuted this, saying very kind things about Meghan, her ex-staff have not backed down from the bullying claims.
Did Meghan use a surrogate?
One of the oddest rumors revolving around Meghan Markle is that the Duchess of Sussex did not actually give birth to her children, Prince Archie or Princess Lilibet. Of course, this would be impactful, since it would technically remove them from the line of succession. As the rumor goes, Meghan is supposed to have actually used a surrogate for her children. A fake social media post attributed to Prince William went viral in April 2024 after an X user shared it, with the phony tweet reading, “This is a public announcement. The Duke & Duchess of Sussex used the services of a surrogate.”
Rumors were ignited in November 2024 when Meghan’s sister, Samantha Markle, appeared on “Dan Wootton Outspoken” and claimed, “My father said nine months before Archie was allegedly born that [Meghan] picked up her frozen eggs. I thought: ‘That makes sense there would be a surrogate involved.’ But why the secrecy? Instead of lying to the world, just say: ‘We’re using a surrogate.'” Then, in January 2025, a supposed “high-level palace courtier” told RadarOnline, “This scandal comes as no surprise … There are so many questions swirling around them. This crisis won’t die down until the irrefutable truth comes out.” Some people believe that Meghan responded to this nasty rumor with a taunt of her own in an Instagram post. The May 19, 2025, message celebrated her seventh anniversary with a collage of images, one of which included an ultrasound.
How fake is Meghan Markle’s show (and life)?
One might imagine that, after leaving royal life behind, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry would want to enjoy the privacy that was previously unattainable. That was absolutely not the case, though, considering Harry’s tell-all book “Spare,” Meghan’s podcast “Archetypes,” and their Netflix shows, including “Harry & Meghan” and “With Love, Meghan.” While supposedly inviting audiences into an intimate, honest space, Meghan has been widely lambasted for her shows, with rumors that the series “With Love, Meghan” is completely staged. These rumors insinuate that she can’t actually cook or garden, that the people on the show aren’t actually her friends, that it isn’t actually her home, and that everything is basically fake.
The New Statesman article “The Fakery of Meghan Markle’s Netflix Show” just about sums it up. “The fakery is so enveloping,” writes Rachel Cooke, “it falls on everything, like one of the tablecloths she’ll soon be selling under her brand As Ever.” Royal expert Kinsey Schofield, host of the “To Di For Daily” podcast, told Fox News, “It lacks authenticity. It’s aesthetically pleasing but not where the content world is at right now. It’s too controlled. Too glossy. Too produced.” “My toes are curling,” added British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard. “This is so cringey and not fun at all. It feels too staged, and the tips and tricks are far too basic … Meghan comes across as a modern Stepford Wife.”
Are Meghan and Harry in financial trouble?
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made a lot of money from Spotify and Netflix, with the former paying $20 million for a podcast and the latter reportedly paying $100 million for a five-year deal. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, there are increasing rumors that Meghan and Harry are in dire financial straits and low on cash. Spotify’s head of podcast innovation and monetization, podcaster Bill Simmons, bluntly called the couple “f***ing grifters” after they supposedly failed to meet a productivity benchmark, only producing 12 episodes of their podcast, “Archetypes,” after two years. Amid those grifting allegations, rumors flooded the internet that Netflix would not be renewing its contract with Meghan and Harry.
News that the couple laid off even more staff in an effort to save cash only compounded the rumors, with one source telling Page Six, “It’s the same old story — they cycle through staff as quickly as normal people cycle through toilet paper.” Perhaps this cash flow issue is why there are so many rumors that Harry is seeking some kind of royal reconciliation. Longtime royal expert Robert Jobson writes in his book “Catherine The Princess of Wales” (via the Daily Mail), “They’re trying to find an income stream (jam, anyone?) that doesn’t involve dishing dirt on the Royal Family.” He quotes a palace official as saying, “What worries His Majesty, and his top team, is what is going to happen when all the money runs out.”
Will Meghan Markle run for office?
Perhaps Meghan Markle can make some money from a Super PAC, considering the rampant rumors about her political interests. In 2024, bookmakers actually took bets on her presidential odds. As Sam Rosbottom, the spokesperson of gambling company Betfair, told Express, “Even though she’s a 500/1 shot to win in 2024, this is just another example of Meghan potentially building her political profile for if she’s to run in the future.” After all, Meghan once told Piers Morgan (via the Daily Mail), “As a kid, I wanted to be either President of the United States or a news broadcaster like you.”
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Meghan has let her beliefs be known in the past by supporting Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris, drawing the ire of President Donald Trump in the process. Back in 2016, she appeared on “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” saying, “Trump is divisive,” and calling him “misogynistic.” Meghan’s openness about her political views supposedly caused some problems with the royals. “Her politics are an issue,” Lady Colin Campbell, a friend of Princess Diana, told The Daily Beast. She is ultra-liberal and that trendy-lefty stuff does not go down well with some of Harry’s friends,” a friend of Princess Diana shared with The Daily Beast. “She is very anti a lot of the things that their world functions upon.” Now that Meghan has separated from royal life, she doesn’t have to worry about that.
Are Meghan and Harry getting divorced?
Alongside their rumored financial woes come rumors of a possible divorce brewing between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. These rumors have, of course, popped up from time to time ever since they were married in 2018, most notably in 2023 when there were reports that Meghan filed $80 million divorce papers, rumors which were fact-checked as blatantly false by Newsweek. Nonetheless, the rumors persisted that same year when Meghan did not attend the coronation of King Charles III.
Rumors spread that there’s a “divorce clause” in Harry and Meghan’s Netflix contract, and Vanity Fair reported that there were alleged conversations among Meghan’s team about the possibility of a post-divorce book, which would certainly pay the rent. Ever since Harry’s team met with Charles’ communications secretary on July 12, 2025, rumors have spread that Harry will need to divorce Meghan if he ever wants to reconcile with the palace and return as a royal. Sources told RadarOnline that the divorce could be a “bribery card,” saying, “[Meghan] firmly believes the royals are scheming to drive a wedge between her and Harry.”
Some people are even convinced Harry and Meghan are separated, citing Harry’s increasing independence. Of course, the couple displays a strong, loving marriage in public, and Meghan has tried to put rumors to bed, saying on “The Jamie Kern Lima Show” that she plans to be with Harry “forever” (via Newsweek). Time will tell whether forever really lasts.
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