Additional details from the new epilogue to the Meghan Markle, Prince Harry biography Finding Freedom have revealed startling new revelations about two of the staffers behind the bullying accusations made against Markle in the days preceding the Sussexes’ bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. Markle has denied the allegations of bullying via her and her husband’s rep, but the accusation has continued to linger over her as the results of the investigation have been placed on a delayed release. Here’s what we know now.
What Are The Bullying Allegations Against Meghan Markle?
Just a few days before Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat down with legendary media figure Oprah Winfrey, The Times published a story that claimed Markle was facing a bullying complaint from her time at Kensington Palace. According to the report, Markle allegedly “drove two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member.”
The complaint was reportedly created in October 2018 by Jason Knauf, who worked as Harry and Markle’s communications secretary at the time. He resigned shortly after making the report but rejoined The Firm in March 2020 as the chief executive of the Cambridges’ Royal Foundation. Knauf apparently made the report “seemingly in an effort to get Buckingham Palace to protect staff who he claimed were coming under pressure from the duchess. Prince Harry pleaded with Knauf not to pursue it, according to a source,” The Times wrote.
New ‘Finding Freedom’ Epilogue Rewrites Story
Now that narrative is being challenged in the new epilogue of Finding Freedom, which states, “Sources confirmed that upon discovery of Jason [Knauf]’s email, two of the individuals mentioned in the email asked for any allegations made to HR about their experiences with Meghan to be rescinded.” The book also claims that there was no such meeting between Prince Harry and Knauf.
When the bullying allegations were first reported, a spokesperson for the Sussexes called it a “calculated smear campaign,” a description that a friend of Markle’s, Janina Gavankar, apparently agreed with. In an attributed quote in Finding Freedom, via ET, Gavankar pushed back against the accusations, telling the authors, “They didn’t hide that fact. It was without doubt done intentionally to discredit the duchess,” adding, “I have known Meghan for 17 years, and I have seen the way she regards people around her and the people she works with, and I can say she is not a bully.”
Bullying Investigation Still Ongoing
There is currently an investigation into the bullying allegations, though results from the investigation have been delayed. They were initially expected to be reported in June, but instead a delay was announced. Since The Times also reported that the rift between Harry and his elder brother Prince William was caused by the bullying allegations, the results of this investigation were highly anticipated.