Why she opened up. Meghan Markle explained her decision to share her past experience with suicidal thoughts during her and Prince Harry‘s bombshell interview with CBS.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to make, as you can imagine,” the Duchess of Sussex, 41, said during a speech at the 2022 Ripple of Hope Awards in New York City on Tuesday, December 6, according to Page Six. “I don’t want anyone to feel alone.”
The Bench author added that there’s been a “spike in numbers of people having an experience they might not be voicing” over the last few years, in part because of lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We all need to — when we can, if we feel brave enough — to just speak honestly about your own experience,” she continued. “It gives other people space and the courage to do the same, but more than that to really feel like you’re not alone, because I think that is often what can be the largest hindrance when you feel that way — you don’t see a way out.”
When Meghan opened up about her exit from the royal family during her March 2021 tell-all, the former actress shocked viewers when she revealed that she struggled with suicidal ideation after her May 2018 wedding to the Duke of Sussex, 38.
Meghan Markle Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
“I just didn’t see a solution. I would sit up at night, and I was just, like, ‘I don’t understand how all of this is being churned out,’” the Suits alum said at the time, referring to negative articles about her that appeared in the British press. “I was really ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry, especially, because I know how much loss he’s suffered. But I knew that if I didn’t say it, that I would do it. I just didn’t want to be alive anymore. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought.”
Meghan and her husband were at the Ripple of Hope Awards to receive a trophy from the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization, which honors those who have “demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social change and worked to protect and advance equity, justice and human rights.”
During his own speech at the gala, Harry praised his wife’s decision to go public with her story. “Ultimately, we live in this world now where sharing experiences and sharing stories has an enormous impact,” he said. “But you’ve got to lead from the front. Society as we know is not made up to encourage vulnerability. We collectively can heal together if we share our stories.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.