A surprise outing for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend a viewing of an art collection – after sources said they would be making ‘regal’ appearances together

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry appeared relaxed as they attended the event together this week

Instagram @msshaunrobinson

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were relaxed as they attended a viewing of an African American art collection this week – in a surprise outing by the couple.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared in good spirits as they joined attendees at The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection exhibition in Sofi Stadium in California last night.

Some of those attending the event went on to share photographs from the evening, with one sharing a snap of Meghan and Harry seemingly giving speeches to those attending. Shaun Robinson posted the photograph on her Instagram page, writing, ‘Thankyou the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Archewell Foundation for supporting the Kinsey Collection.’

Meghan was elegant in a black jacket with white floral detailing for the occasion, pairing the look with a pair of dark trousers and ballet pumps. Meanwhile she wore her hair down in loose waves around her shoulders. Prince Harry looked smart in a white shirt and black suit.

The Kinsey Collection celebrates the achievements and contributions of black Americans from before the formation of the United States to present times, and travels across the country to exhibit in various places. It is showing at Sofi Stadium, close to the couple’s home in Montecito, until the end of the month.

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Adding and elevating women artists at the Art Institute

Art museums across the United States, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Baltimore Art Museum, are bringing a new urgency to diversity and inclusion and shaking up how they represent art history at the same time.

The Art Institute of Chicago has joined that crusade, and those efforts can especially be seen in the museum’s arts of the Americas department, where 33 percent of its acquisitions in 2016-23 were by named women artists — 61 out of 183 objects.

That pace is significantly higher than that of the museum world at large. Although the period covered is not exactly the same, a study conducted for Artnet News and Studio Burns Media and published in December 2022 in the Art Newspaper provides a useful point of comparison. It showed that at the 31 museums examined, only 11 percent of acquisitions were by women in 2008-20.

Many of the arts of the Americas acquisitions fall within 19th- and early 20th-century American art, the focus of Associate Curator Annelise K. Madsen. She has long been interested in women artists but really began to focus on them five years ago.

The availability of a couple of works, including Theresa F. Bernstein’s 1921 oil on canvas, “The Milliners,” served as a catalyst and propelled the project forward, allowing Madsen to address what she saw as a historical wrong rooted in entrenched sexism.

“These are historical women artists,” she said, “who are making an impact on their moment in the art world, obstacles and all. And so many of them are just not part of the stories we tell about American art, and we need to change that pattern, because those are stories worth telling.”

In many cases, because these artists have been long overlooked and forgotten, little archival material is readily available about them. Madsen has had to undertake extensive original research, and she hopes her findings will benefit not only the Art Institute but the wider scholarly and curatorial community as well.

“It’s about collectively laying the groundwork,” she said, “and doing the research that just hasn’t been done but needs to be done to help all of us do this work.”

Researching women artists leads to surprising finds

In some cases, Madsen has been pursuing information on one artist and another fascinating one pops up along the way. She cited the example of Ellen Emmet Rand’s “Woman Before the Mirror” (1925), a Manet-like oil portrait of a self-confident woman in a fancy black dress and hat looking at herself in a mirror.

Several female members of the Emmet family were professional painters in the late 19th and early 20th century, including Rosina Emmet Shorewood and Lydia Field Emmet, who created murals for the Woman’s Building at the World’s Columbian Exhibition held in Chicago in 1893. The curator also knew of Jane Emmet de Glehn, who is shown painting in John Singer Sargent’s 1907 work, “The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy,” in the Art Institute’s collection.

Several years ago, Madsen saw “Woman Before the Mirror,” on a dealer’s website, and she was immediately intrigued. “I didn’t know Ellen very well, but I knew the Emmet name, and it was a great, forceful picture, and it really captured my attention,” she said.

Madsen researched Rand, and it turned out she was cousins with the three other Emmet artists, and the museum acquired her work in 2019. “So, that was a particularly memorable exercise and acquisition that I’m really proud of here at the Art Institute and that connects those dots within the art world but also reflects my path through this material,” the curator said.

 

Now that the Art Institute has made significant acquisitions by women in the American realm, art dealers have taken notice. “It’s part of cultivating those relationships,” Madsen said. “You let them know what you are interested in, and sometimes you have the good fortune of a dealer coming to you.”

Another new work to the collection that Madsen highlighted is Lilly Martin Spencer’s “This Little Pig Went to Market,” a circa 1857 painting that depicts a mother reciting a nursery rhyme to her child. The 24-by-20-inch oil on canvas was acquired in 2021.

Though Spencer has fallen into obscurity today, Madsen describes her as one of the most popular American artists of the mid-19th-century. “She is a name who had been on my wish list for a very long time, and the odds of finding a really great work were not high, so when this work came on the market a few years ago, I was really excited.”

Lilly Martin Spencer. This Little Pig Went to Market, c. 1857. The Art Institute of Chicago, Roger and J. Peter McCormick Endowment Fund; through prior gifts of the George F. Harding Collection and the Chicago Normal School Alumni.

Lilly Martin Spencer, “This Little Pig Went to Market,” c. 1857.

Art Institute of Chicago/Roger and J. Peter McCormick Endowment Fund

Yet another notable addition is a lyrical landscape, “Looking Upon the River” (1880) by Julie Hart Beers. When conservators examined the work, they realized it had two conflicting layers of varnish that gave it a cloudy look, a problem they solved by removing the top one and adding a fresh coat of the clear surface finish over the original resin layer below. “It really made the painting glow in a way that it hadn’t before,” Madsen said.

Beside acquiring additional works, the museum is also focused on shining a new spotlight on objects by women already in its holdings. “We had women artists in the collection but not enough,” Madsen said. Some of those are obvious names like Georgia O’Keeffe and Mary Cassatt, the famed Impressionist, but others are less known like Bessie Potter Vonnoh, the first named female sculptor to enter the Art Institute collection in 1915.

Julie Hart Beers. Looking upon the River, 1880. The Art Institute of Chicago, purchased with funds provided by the bequest of Muriel J. Kogan.

Julie Hart Beers, “Looking upon the River,” 1880.

The Art Institute of Chicago/Bequest of Muriel J. Kogan

“Those are works that, in some cases, have long been in the collection,” Madsen said, “but they need fresh eyes on them to think about how they can make an impact in the galleries again.”

Similar efforts at inclusion and diversity are happening at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, where 54.5 percent of the works it collected in 2017-22 were by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) artists.

In October 2022, the museum announced a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to fund a Latinx and Caribbean art initiative, including exhibitions, acquisitions and curatorial research, as well as a push to make the museum a “fully bilingual institution.”.

What’s the future for women in the American collection at the Art Institute? Madsen points to continued acquisitions as well as what she called further “reinvestments” in the permanent collection through public programming and exhibitions.

An exhibition devoted to O’Keeffe, “My New Yorks,” is set to open June 2. Another in 2025 will focus on Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012), an African-American artist who spent much of her life in Mexico, and a third in 2026 will showcase Cassatt.

“We’re constantly writing histories and revising them,” Madsen said. “There isn’t just one way to tell the story of American art, and we need to try broaden that narrative.”

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s rare public outing one night before Kate’s cancer news

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were seen speaking at an exhibition about black art and history in Los Angeles last night, just the evening before Princess Kate announced her cancer battle.

Today the Princess of Wales shared a video revealing she’s been diagnosed with cancer, which was found after an abdominal surgery. She told the public: “I am well and getting stronger every day.”

Last night Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection’s event at SoFi Stadium yesterday.

It is not known if the royal couple had any knowledge of Kate’s diagnosis when they attended the event.

Meghan, 42, was dressed in a £4,800 Carolina Herrera floral-embroidered wool cape, while Harry, 39, looked dapper in a smart suit with an open-necked white shirt.

READ MORE: Meghan Markle shelling out ‘ungodly amount’ for publicity on America Riviera Orchard

Screenwriter Matheos Coelho shared a video from the event on Instagram where Meghan can be heard saying: “I thought oh my gosh, the extension of that can mean you’re vocal about your success, they’ll see you and say you deserved it.

“And hopefully you get to that place… so a huge thanks to the Kinsey family of course for not just having this incredible…”

TV star Shaun Robinson shared a photo on Instagram today of the Royal couple at the exhibition as they held microphones and addressed the audience.

Ms Robinson, who supports the collection, said: “Thank you Duke & Duchess of Sussex and @thearchewellorganization for supporting the @kinseycollection.”

In the statement, videoed in Kensington Palace’s gardens, Kate made a heartbreaking nod to her husband and her young children.

husband Prince William, who has been by her side during her recovery from surgery and this shocking news.

The Princess said: “Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.”

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

BMAC Panel Examines Black Artists’ Challenges in Nashville, Asks Whether Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Will Help or Hinder Country Artists of Color

At the Black Music Action Coalition‘s “Rooted in Country” discussion panel Thursday night — addressing the many challenges Black country artists continue to face breaking into the genre — it was just a matter of time before the conversation turned to Beyonce’s “Act II: Cowboy Carter” country-themed album that drops next Friday.

The all-female panel (in honor of Women’s History Month) featured Rissi Palmer, a pioneering country singer-songwriter and host of the “Color Me Country” podcast; Holly G, founder of the Black Opry collective; and Live Nation Country’s Julie Matway; it was moderated by label veteran and author Naima Cochrane, who wrote a powerful study on the subject called “Three Chords & the Actual Truth: The Manufactured Myth of Country Music & White America” that was published in June of 2022. The event, which was presented by the BMAC, Live Nation’s “Curated” program and Variety, also featured a brief performance from Academy of Country Music OnRamp honoree Carmen Dianne, who performed solo and, unusually for a singer-songwriter, accompanied herself only on bass. (Pictured above, L-R: Palmer, Holly G, BMAC CEO WIllie “Prophet” Stiggers, Cochrane, Matway.)

Not surprisingly, considering the subject matter, some strong opinions were aired.

Palmer, 42, is an O.G. of the movement: Her 2007 single “Country Girl” was the first song released by an African-American woman to reach the country charts in 20 years. She spoke powerfully about the stiff resistance she faced in trying to break into the Nashville business and the constant challenges to her “authenticity.”  

“My parents were from Georgia — I grew up on Aretha Franklin and Patsy Cline, on Chaka Khan and Dolly Parton,” she said. She began writing songs and performing as a teenager and, encouraged by her early managers — two Black women — signed a publishing deal and moved to Nashville. She recorded demos that were shopped around Music Row and met encouraging responses every step of the way — until the would-be suitors realized she was Black.

“Then it became, ‘Oh, we need to hear more songs’ or ‘We’ll get back to you.’” It was seven years before she was able to secure a deal with the 1720 Entertainment independent label, and another year before “Country Girl” cracked the chart. Eventually she left Nashville to begin working outside of the system.

“There’s this idea that we didn’t exist in country music until Charley Pride,” she said, referring to the first Black artist to be accepted by the Nashville establishment. “I started ‘Color Me Country’ to show that we’ve always been here. It started in the 1800s, and [pioneering African-American blues-country guitarist] Lesley Riddle taught the Carter Family.” And although she acknowledged the progress of contemporary artists like Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, Brittney Spencer and Americana-leaning performers like Alison Russell, it remains an uphill battle.

Palmer’s work did not go unnoticed — especially by lifelong country music fan Holly G, whose Black Opry organization has expanded from a website to a small booking agency and, next, a label. “As a queer Black woman, there wasn’t space for me in country,” she said. “But I saw Rissi and said, ‘We can create our own shit,’ and when I started the website so many people reached out to me. Our scarcity mindset has been limiting.”

Carmen Dianne (Photo: Emmanuel Agbeble @APMWORLDMAG)

All of which is coming to a head with “Country Carter.” While the panelists support Beyonce’s creative decision — and her right — to make a country album, they’re less optimistic about the impact the country-radio airplay of its lead single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” could have on other Black musicians.

“The radio success of Beyonce’s country singles has not created opportunities for other Black country artists,” said Holly G. “Radio is essential for success in country, and every Black woman is not Beyonce. Her being able to chart is a product of her being a global superstar, not because she worked through the [Nashville] system. Now, [gatekeepers] can say ‘There’s already a Black woman on the radio,’” as if the problem has been solved. “Beyonce has set everything back five years,” she concluded.

While in many ways it’s an ultimate outsider power move — Beyonce has said the album was “born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” likely referring to her performance of her earlier country song “Daddy Lessons” with Nashville outcasts the Chicks on the 2016 CMA Awards — it’s also a sign of the slow progress of change that confronts all female musicians. For example, on Grammy nights when Adele or Taylor Swift or Celine Dion took home armloads of awards, the media trumpeted “Ladies’ Night” headlines, even though it was for just one, thus creating a perception that advancement for one is advancement for all, which is rarely the case — and the momentum for change stalls.

In fact, the panelists emphasized that it hasn’t been much easier for white female artists in Nashville. “White women don’t do well either!,” Palmer exclaimed. “It’s not just us.”

How resistant to change are some country fans? Both Palmer and Holly G spoke of being “made to pass an authenticity test,” similar to the “name five songs” quiz that snobs give people wearing artist T-shirts, and hearing comments over the years like “You’re beautiful for a Black woman,” and “You’re Black, but you’re not Black Black.”

Holly even said that she has received death threats for her outspokenness — even though she did not speak out about Jason Aldean’s controversial video for “Try That in a Small Town,” which was filmed in front of a Tennessee courthouse where both a lynching and a race riot had taken place decades earlier (he said he wasn’t aware of the history, but didn’t really apologize for it either).

“Jason Aldean is one of the people who make us feel unsafe,” Holly said. “I was getting death threats from his fans for a video that I hadn’t said anything about.” She added that the presence of Black Opry artists on the Aldean-headlined Tortuga Festival later this year “has made us get a safety plan.”

Nevertheless, they persist. A “Color Me Country” artist grant fund sent 14 country performers of color on a European tour; Black Opry boasts 200 artist members and its first album release is scheduled for October; and BMAC CEO Willie “Prophet” Stiggers said the panel was intentionally staged in New York instead of Nashville so awareness would reach outside Music City.

“Now, we don’t have to ask for a seat at someone else’s table,” Palmer concluded. “We’re creating our own.”

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

The Renaissance of Sculptor Augusta Savage

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Letter: Library program celebrates Black voices

Thirty-six years ago, Indianapolis Public Library employee Tony Radford knew African American artists in Indianapolis—like him—needed a place to showcase their work. He brought his idea to life at Central Library and created the Meet the Artists exhibit, making Central Library one of the first local public spaces to exhibit a collection of Black artists annually.

By championing local African American artists, many who would have not otherwise had a public place to share their work, The Indianapolis Public Library has aided in the transformative power of representation.

As chairperson for the African American History Committee for the past 13 years, I’ve had a front-row seat to witness the launch of many inspiring and culturally rich initiatives, thanks to the hard work of our committee as well as the generous support of our Friends of the Library through their gifts to the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. These free exhibits and programs have included Ballad of Birmingham; Re-Entry: Renew, Restore, Rebuild; Kin Killin’ Kin; Women of a New Tribe; Sons: Seeing the Modern African Male; Salute to Black Medical Heroes; the annual Fall Fest and Slammin’ Rhymes Challenge; and Meet the Artists, which attracts guest speakers such as Tamika Catchings, Judge Tanya Walton-Pratt and Vivica Fox.

This year, Tony Radford has curated his 36th Meet the Artists exhibit, celebrating more than 30 new and returning creative talents working in a diversity of media such as steel, soap, glass, textiles and even augmented reality.

It is important that we recognize the pivotal role traditions like Meet the Artists play in helping Indianapolis forge a stronger cultural identity. These traditions are not merely a memorable and moving experience; they are rallying points and conversation points for a community committed to building a vibrant and racially equitable city.

Significant to our story, Meet the Artists remains accessible to everyone and—like all library events—is free and open to all.•

—Cordia Watkins
African American History Committee chair,The Indianapolis Public Library

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A Charlotte artist had a long-term goal of having his work in a museum. At 21, he’s now done it twice

He said he can see how much he’s grown as an artist in just the last few years.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte artist with high hopes of having his work in a museum one day is achieving that goal for the second time at the age of 21.

The artist, who goes by the name $oho, has been creating art his whole life, but only started to pursue it full time in the last few years. In that time, he’s found success in the Queen City, a community $oho found has supported him and helped him grow. 

Last year, he had his work featured at Mint Museum Uptown as part of the Local/Street 2023 exhibit. 

“That was my first experience like that,” $oho said. “I set that as being in a museum as a long-term goal, and I ended up getting that my first full year as a professional artist.”

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He calls the piece he created for the exhibit “a love letter to Charlotte.” It features references to iconic, locally-based businesses like Bojangles and features rap lyrics from Charlotte artists.  

“I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t from here,” he said. “Who would I be?”

He’s currently a student at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, but is pursuing art in Charlotte. 

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About a year and a half ago, he visited BlkMrktClt’s studio space at Camp North End. He said in the time since he first visited, the artists that make up BlkMrktClt have served as mentors to him. He credits the other artists with helping to bring him out of his shell and push his creative vision. In December, he was one of over 50 Charlotte-area artists featured in BlkMrktClt’s Hunnid Dollar Art Fair.

“My whole life, I kind of struggled to find where I click at,” $oho said. “I’ve spent a majority of my time alone, and had a couple of friends here and there. But a full place I fit in was always a struggle. This is the first place I feel fully accepted.”

He said he can see how much he’s grown as an artist in just the last few years. He said he considers himself an Afro-Surrealist, making stories with his art that people can connect with — often about growing up in the South. He often uses vibrant colors throughout his paintings, and specifically uses colors like red, blue and green when painting skin.

“I see this as a very bright city and I’m drawing the colors,” he said. “I do different colors for skin because as Black people we’re the ‘colored people,’ so I like to express it through that way.” 

He said being a part of the effort to push representation of Black artists to the forefront of Charlotte’s art scene is a full circle moment. He graduated high school in 2020, and remembered being inspired by the multi-artist collaboration of the Black Lives Matter mural in the streets of Uptown Charlotte. 

“That inspired me to push even harder,” $oho said. “Then as I was pushing, I was like, ‘I actually like really love this. Why not make a career out of this?’ And then I come here and get accepted into open arms from the people that are inspiring me and then we just made that connection. So full circle.”

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That full circle moment keeps expanding for him. Just last month, he collaborated with Charlotte FC to celebrate Black History Month. He said it all felt normal when he was working on art in a dorm room at NCCU — until he walked into the Charlotte FC practice facility to deliver the work. Then the gravity of the experience hit him.

Now, he’s achieving his dream of being in a museum for the second time. He’ll have work featured at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture on Friday, March 22, from 6 until 10 p.m. as part of the “Art After Dark: Southern Digital” collection.

With college graduation in sight and his long-term goal achieved twice over, $oho now needs to create a new list of goals to strive for next. One thing is for sure: He wants to pay it forward and empower young artists in the community.

“I’m so blessed and highly favored to get opportunities like this,” he said. “To have people that believe in me and my ability. How can I not share that for the next person?”

Contact Emma Korynta at ekorynta@wcnc.com and follow her on X. 

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RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry make speech at glitzy exhibition featuring black art and history

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made a speech during an exhibition about black art and history.

The couple were pictured at the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection’s event on Thursday evening.


In an Instagram video from the event by screenwriter Matheos Coelho, the Duchess of Sussex said: “I thought oh my gosh, the extension of that can mean you’re vocal about your success, they’ll see you and say you deserved it.

“And hopefully you get to that place… so a huge thanks to the Kinsey family of course for not just having this incredible…”

Meghan and Harry

The couple were thanked on social media for supporting the event

Getty

TV personality, Shaun Robinson, thanked Meghan and Harry for their support at the event by sharing an image of the couple on social media.

She posted: “Thank you Duke & Duchess of Sussex and @thearchewellorganization for supporting the @kinseycollection.”

Meghan wore a Carolina Herrera floral-patterned cape worth £4,800 with flowing black trousers and pumps.

Meanwhile, Harry, 39, wore a smart, navy suit with an open-neck shirt and patent black shoes.

Meghan and Harry

The event was held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday

Getty

The event was held at SoFi Stadium which is close to the couple’s Montecito mansion where they live with their two children.

The Kinsey Collection “assists academic and cultural institutions with increasing public awareness about African American history and culture.”

The pair behind the collection, Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, have been working for five decades on the world’s largest collection of black art.

One of the items in the collection is a letter from human rights activist Malcolm X to author Alex Haley from 1963.

Meghan MarkleMeghan has launched a new lifestyle brand called American Riviera OrchardReuters

Meghan and Harry’s appearance comes as sources hinted at a series of “regal” appearances from the couple as Meghan launched her new lifestyle brand.

Meghan Markle launched her new luxury lifestyle brand with an Instagram video last week.

The duchess’s new project, called American Riviera Orchard, was announced with a new website and Instagram page.

The duchess posted her first Instagram story of herself cooking in a kitchen and picking flowers.

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Meghan Markle and Harry put on a united front as barbed Kate Middleton documentary airs

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have given a speech during an exhibition about Black art and history in Los Angeles.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the SoFi Stadium last night as part of the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection’s event. The couple were thanked for their support in snaps posted on Instagram.

TV personality Shaun Robinson, a supporter of the collection, shared a picture of Meghan and Harry as they spoke to the audience. She wrote: “Thank you Duke & Duchess of Sussex and @thearchewellorganization for supporting the @kinseycollection.”

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READ MORE: King Charles has ‘no regrets’ about letting Harry and Meghan go after getting ‘fingers burned’

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made a joint public appearance
(
Shaun Robinson/Instagram)

They were thanked for their support
(
Shaun Robinson/Instagram)

She then shared a second post showing a panel discussion involving Harry and Meghan. “Great discussion last night supported by @thearchewellorganization and Duke & Duchess of Sussex,” Shaun wrote.

The exhibition was set up to “celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Americans from before the formation of the United States to present times”. Bernard and Shirley Kinsey are the people behind the collection and have spent five decades creating the world’s biggest private collections of Black art and artefacts.

Items in the exhibition include a 1963 typed letter from human rights activist Malcolm X to author Alex Haley as well as a handwritten bill of sale for an enslaved Black man from 1832. Meghan and Harry’s appearance at the exhibition comes after Meghan’s recent appearance at the SXSW festival.

The Sussexes also took part in a panel discussion
It comes following Princess Kate’s abdominal surgery
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Getty Images)

The Duchess of Sussex gave a passionate speech as she reflected on “cruel” comments she’s received online. “The bulk of the bullying and abuse that I was experiencing in social media and online was when I was pregnant, with Archie and with Lili, and with a newborn with each of them,” she said.

“And you just think about that and really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful. It’s not catty, it’s cruel.” Meghan and Harry’s LA appearance also comes as TMZ aired a documentary “investigating” the scandal surrounding the Princess of Wales.

TMZ Investigates: Where is Kate Middleton? aired in America last night, focusing on how the Royal Family have handled questions regarding Kate and how it’s led to a wave of controversy. Kate became the subject of wild conspiracy theories following her abdominal surgery in January. The conspiracy theories worsened when the Princess released an edited picture of herself on Mother’s Day.

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