Meghan’s actions, which included reaching out to Eilish directly, were met with a positive response from the singer, who not only sent a new T-shirt but also several others along with some signed merchandise. While the story was touching, the video rubbed some people the wrong way, especially given Meghan’s recent criticisms and the media firestorm surrounding her and Prince Harry.
The couple had been accused of “disaster tourism” after they were photographed walking through the wildfire-ravaged areas of Altadena, with many speculating that their visit was nothing more than a “photo op.” Shortly after, Meghan was accused of mistreating staff, with Vanity Fair publishing a cover story filled with damning allegations about her behavior.
Despite this, Meghan returned to Instagram with the story, and the reaction from the public was mixed. Critics on X (formerly Twitter) slammed her for seeming to make the disaster about herself. One user wrote, “Meghan Markle making it all about herself. Someone’s 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.” Another person added, “She’s egocentric, egotistical, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, selfish, narcissistic woman, makes everything come back around to #MeMe.”
Others voiced concerns about the tone-deafness of the video, with one comment reading, “How completely tone-deaf is this… and I’m sure it’s all a PR fabrication she’s spewing to try and turn the tide on her popularity and career train wreck.”
In response to the backlash, Express reached out to public relations expert Renae Smith, who weighed in on the situation. “From a PR perspective, I’m not personally a fan of Meghan’s latest video,” Smith said. “While I believe her actions were genuinely kind—she’s not a monster, after all—the issue here is all about perception. She’s 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.”
Smith went on to explain that while Meghan’s intentions may have been pure, the video may feed into the existing narrative that she is self-absorbed. “It’s a delicate balance,” Smith continued. “If her social media is meant to be authentic and unapologetically ‘her,’ then fine—it doesn’t necessarily help repair her reputation, but perhaps that’s not the goal. The real question is whether she’s interested in shifting the narrative or just living authentically online.”
The video has left Meghan’s followers divided, and the criticism could further complicate her efforts to manage her public image as she continues to navigate the aftermath of several high-profile controversies.
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