How the Media Uses Concern Trolling to Smear Meghan Sussex

Recently, the Daily Mail attacked Meghan Sussex’s DIY bath salt recipe from her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, claiming that health experts were alarmed by potential skin risks. This so-called “concern” is part of a larger pattern—where media outlets and commentators pretend to care while actually using concern trolling to undermine her. Examines how the press weaponizes fake concern to unfairly target Meghan and shape negative narratives around her.

Understanding Concern Trolling

Concern trolling happens when someone pretends to be worried about a person’s actions or choices but is actually using that concern to criticize them. Instead of directly attacking, concern trolls disguise negativity as advice or moral outrage.

For example, if a Black woman launches a lifestyle show, critics might frame their disapproval as concern, claiming it sends the wrong message during tough economic times or makes her seem out of touch. Yet, when Pamela Anderson, a white woman, debuts a vegan cooking show, she faces little to no backlash.

This pattern shows that joy and success are seen as more acceptable for white women than for women of color. Meghan Sussex is a prime example of this hidden bias, facing constant media attacks disguised as “concern” for her actions.

The Daily Mail Used Concern Trolling to Smear Meghan’s Background

In 2016, the Daily Mail tried to make Meghan Sussex’s background seem unfit for the royal family. They ran a story claiming she was “almost straight outta Compton,” linking her to crime and gangs. Instead of openly criticizing her, they pretended to show concern about where she came from.

Meghan did not grow up in Compton. She lived in View Park-Windsor Hills, a wealthy, mostly Black neighborhood known as the “Black Beverly Hills.” Her mother, Doria Ragland, owned a home in the hills above Crenshaw, far from the gang violence the article suggested. The Daily Mail ignored the truth and used racial stereotypes to spread fear and doubt. This is concern trolling—acting like they are just sharing facts while actually trying to damage Meghan’s image.

The Avocado Controversy Exposes Media Bias

In 2019, the media attacked Meghan Sussex for eating avocado toast, with the Daily Mail claiming her snack was linked to human rights abuses and environmental damage. The coverage framed Meghan as irresponsible, using concern trolling to turn an everyday food choice into a scandal.

However, other royals did the same without backlash. The Express praised Princess Catherine when Prince William was gifted an avocado, calling it a remedy for her morning sickness. The stark contrast in coverage shows the double standard at play. Meghan’s actions were framed as harmful, while Catherine were celebrated.

How the Media Used Earrings to Push a False Narrative

In 2021, the media targeted Meghan Sussex for wearing earrings that were a loan from the royal collection, originally gifted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Critics claimed she was insensitive to human rights issues, pretending to show concern while actually pushing a smear campaign. However, Meghan did not own the earrings—they were on loan from the royal collection, just like many pieces worn by other royal women.

Yet, this outrage over Meghan’s jewellery was nowhere to be found when Queen Elizabeth II publicly wore a Saudi-gifted necklace on December 4, 2018—weeks after 11 Saudis were indicted for journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. The King Khalid necklace, a gift from the Saudi royal family in 1979, was part of her public engagements, yet the media said nothing.

The outrage was never about ethics. The media used concern trolling to single out Meghan for criticism while ignoring that she had no control over the jewellery and followed standard royal protocol. Meanwhile, the Queen and other royals wore Saudi gifts without backlash, proving that the attacks on Meghan were about tearing her down—not holding the monarchy accountable.

How the Media Used Concern Trolling to Attack Meghan for Attending a Movie

In early 2024, Meghan Sussex and Prince Harry attended the premiere of a Bob Marley film in Jamaica, an event unrelated to the royal family’s health matters. Yet, media outlets like the Daily Mail framed their appearance as insensitive, linking it to King Charles preparing for prostate surgery and Kate Middleton spending a week in the hospital.

This was a classic case of concern trolling—pretending to be outraged over Harry and Meghan’s supposed lack of sympathy while actually using the situation to smear them.

But what does Meghan Sussex being in Jamaica have to do with King Charles’ health or Catherine’s hospitalization? Why is it their responsibility to publicly acknowledge these events, while other royals continue their own engagements without scrutiny? The framing wasn’t about concern for the royal family—it was about policing Meghan and Harry’s actions and reinforcing the false narrative that they are always in the wrong.

The media conveniently ignores the many times William and Kate attended events while Meghan was pregnant, experiencing a miscarriage, or being relentlessly attacked. The goal isn’t fairness, it’s control. And once again, Meghan is the chosen target.

The Media Uses Concern Trolling to Blame Meghan Sussex for Justin Welby’s Scandal

In late 2024, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned after failing to act on widespread sexual abuse within the Church of England. Instead of holding him accountable, the media twisted the story to blame Meghan and Harry. The Daily Mail led the charge, claiming Welby had “fallen under their spell,” as if their friendship somehow influenced his failure to protect over 100 victims.

This is classic concern trolling—pretending to care about church abuse while using it as another excuse to attack Meghan. The Daily Mail didn’t push for justice or demand accountability from the Church of England. Instead, they made the scandal about Meghan, deflecting from the real issue.

Whoever came up with this angle deserves an award for Olympic-level mental gymnastics. The Church of England covered up horrific abuse, yet the focus is on Meghan and Harry? If we’re assigning blame, why not King Charles, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England? The media’s desperation to drag the Sussexes into unrelated scandals shows just how far they’ll go to smear them.

If the media truly cared about accountability, they would be investigating the failures of the Church of England instead of finding ways to blame Meghan and Harry. The fact that they don’t tells us everything.

Public Figures Fuel Contradictory Criticism

Even commentators who recognize racial bias against Meghan Sussex still contribute to concern trolling. Heidi N. Moore is a prime example. At one point, she acknowledged how white women’s jealousy and racism fueled the attacks on Meghan. Yet later, she joined the pile-on, calling Meghan a “fake girlboss” and accusing her of exploiting her racial identity.

Moore’s history makes this even more revealing. She was once close to Jason Knauf, Prince William’s former right-hand man, who played a key role in leaking negative stories about Meghan to the press. After they fell out, Moore exposed Knauf as the man behind Meghan hate accounts linked to Kensington Palace. But now? It seems they’ve made up, and she’s back to targeting Meghan online.

She frequently spews misogynoir, toeing the line between racism and sexism, yet reacts poorly when people call her out. The hypocrisy is glaring—she wouldn’t last a day in Meghan’s shoes. Instead of holding the powerful accountable, she attacks Meghan while lecturing Black people on who they should support. This isn’t journalism or fair critique. It’s a deliberate effort to tear Meghan down from every angle.

The Bath Salt Scandal – Another Media Smear Disguised as Concern

The Daily Mail’s outrage over Meghan’s bath salt recipe didn’t appear out of nowhere. First, they spread false claims that Netflix would cancel her show. Then, they mocked her content. When neither attack worked, they pretended to worry about safety, manufacturing a new controversy. The pattern is clear—when one smear tactic fails, they move on to the next.

As Meghan Thrives, Concern Trolling Will Reach New Heights

As Meghan Sussex expands her social media presence and builds her business empire, media concern trolling will escalate to unhinged levels. The same outlets that once dismissed her as irrelevant and failing will now scramble to twist her success into a problem that needs fixing.

Meghan’s growing business ventures, including As ever, will likely be spun as opportunistic or exploitative, with critics suggesting she is somehow profiting off her royal past, despite the fact that multiple royals, including King Charles and Princess Anne, have run businesses for decades. If she shares more of her life on social media, the narrative will shift to accusations of attention-seeking or desperation, conveniently ignoring the fact that Prince William and Princess Catherine rely on social media for branding just as much.

The scrutiny won’t stop there. Her role as a mother will be weaponized in predictable ways. If she focuses on her business, critics will claim she is too busy for her children, but if she posts about them, the headlines will accuse her of overexposing Archie and Lilibet for publicity—even as the royal family frequently shares photos and videos of their own children without backlash. Meghan and Harry’s marriage will continue to be a target, with tabloids recycling old divorce rumors and inventing new “insider” reports about supposed tensions, no matter how strong their public appearances prove otherwise.

Even Meghan’s philanthropy won’t be safe from media manipulation. Any charitable effort she supports will be framed as performative or self-serving, with critics insisting she is trying to outshine the royals, despite her long-standing commitment to activism that predates her marriage.

Final Thoughts

At its core, concern trolling isn’t about ethics or accountability—it’s about control. The media and its critics have spent years trying to define Meghan’s narrative on their terms. But now, as she takes control of her own image, they are left scrambling to invent new ways to undermine her, often exposing their own desperation in the process.

Despite the media’s efforts, this strategy will fail. Meghan has already proven she can rise above the noise, and the public is growing more aware of how these narratives are manufactured and weaponized. As she continues to succeed, concern trolling will become even more exaggerated, more ridiculous, and ultimately, more ineffective.