Chris Rock Kirill Bichutsky/Netflix
Not holding back. Chris Rock weighed in on Meghan Markle’s allegations about experiencing racism within the royal family during his new Netflix stand-up special, Selective Outrage.
The comedian, 58, poked fun at the former actress’ claims that an unnamed royal relative expressed concerns about the color of her and Prince Harry’s son Archie’s skin ahead of his May 2019 birth. Meghan, 41, and the Duke of Sussex, 38, also share their 20-month-old daughter, Lilibet.
Rock, however, argued that those comments weren’t racist, instead referring to them as “in-law s–t.”
Meghan Markle Kristin Callahan/Shutterstock
He explained: “I’m like, ‘What the f–k is she talking about?’ ‘They’re so racist. They wanted to know how brown the baby was going to be.’ I’m like, ‘That’s not racist,’ ‘cause even Black people want to know how brown the baby gon’ be. S–t. We check behind them ears.”
Addressing Meghan herself, he went on to joke, “Didn’t she hit the light-skinned lottery? And she’s still going off complaining?”
Rock pointed out that while it can be difficult for a “Black girl to be accepted by her white in-laws,” it is even harder for “a white girl trying to be accepted by her Black in-laws,” adding, “No, that s–t is really hard.”
The Suits alum wasn’t the only celebrity the Emmy winner called out during the special, which hit Netflix on Saturday, March 4. He also took a jab at one of Hollywood’s most famous families. “If you Black and you wanna be accepted by your white in-laws, then you need to marry a Kardashian,” Rock joked. “Kris Jenner is like the Statue of Liberty.”
The Duchess of Sussex and her husband have been candid about their royal tenure since stepping back from their senior duties in 2020. The couple detailed the alleged skin tone concerns during their CBS tell-all in March 2021.
Sophie Countess of Wessex, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Anne David Fisher/Shutterstock
“That conversation I’m never going to share. But at the time, it was awkward,” Harry claimed. “I was a bit shocked. I’m not comfortable sharing it.”
Following the interview, Harry reportedly clarified that neither Queen Elizabeth II nor Prince Philip made the comments, though he did not specify who did. The special aired before Philip’s death at the age of 99 in April 2021, as well as the queen’s death at the age of 96 in September 2022.
During the sit-down, Meghan opened up about attempting to seek help for suicidal thoughts after being bullied by the British press. “Look, I was really ashamed to have to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry especially, but I knew that if I didn’t say that I would do it,” she shared. “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
Prince William, Prince Harry, Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge. Shutterstock
Harry also explained that the racism directed at his wife “was a large part” of why they chose to leave their senior working roles. Recalling a conversation he had with a friend at a fundraising dinner, Harry claimed, “One of the people at that dinner said to me, ‘Please don’t do this with the media. They will destroy your life.’ This person is friends with a lot of the editors.”
He continued: “And I said, ‘So just to elaborate what do you mean by that?’ Obviously, I knew. He said, ‘You need to understand that the U.K. is very bigoted.’ If the source of the information is inherently corrupt or racist of bias, then that filters out to the rest of society.”
The royal family publicly addressed the couple’s TV revelations in March 2021. “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” read a statement to Us Weekly. “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”