Meghan Markle Sends a Strong Reminder to Those Who Never Stop Criticizing Her

"Pinch me. I'm real." Meghan Markle lays bare her emotions in a raw new interview, as she takes aim at critics and pleads for compassion: "I have real best friends [...] I'm a real mom."

Meghan Markle has finally had enough. In a new interview released on August 26, 2025, the Duchess of Sussex dropped the royal mask and delivered a piercing, emotional rebuke to those who've made her life a tabloid battleground.

Sitting across from acclaimed journalist Emily Chang in a warm, rustic Santa Barbara space, Markle, who also shared insights into her latest business and entertainment ventures, bared her soul like never before.

A Royal Reckoning in Santa Barbara

Against the soothing, earth-toned backdrop of Godmothers, a cozy, upscale café nestled in California's elite coastal enclave, two powerful women faced each other across a caramel-hued leather sofa — a visual of warmth with a storm brewing beneath.

Markle, radiant in a canary-yellow dress and breezy sandals, cut a striking figure next to Chang's bold, cobalt-blue ensemble. But while the setting was serene, the conversation was anything but lighthearted.

When Chang asked the pointed question, "If you could choose one thing for people to know the truth about you, what would that one thing be?" the air shifted. There was a reflective pause as Markle gathered her thoughts. Then came the poignant honesty.

"I just want people to know that I'm a real person," Markle answered, her voice laced with weariness and emotional exhaustion.

She tore into the toxic culture of digital hate and "super dehumanizing" clickbait, lamenting how she and her loved ones are routinely dragged through the mud.

"It's like, no, my friends have to read those things," she said. "Like I have real best friends, the same one [sic] since I was 17. You know, like I'm a real mom." This wasn't royal PR. This was a mother begging the world to stop forgetting her humanity.

She continued, "I have to go, and I choose to go and do school pickup and drop off. But I do that under a landscape that is created that forgets that I'm a real person."

The Duchess didn't hold back as she laid out the emotional toll this distorted version of her life has taken — not just on her, but on her children and community.

"And how would you want someone to treat a real person in your life that you cared about or loved or respected?" she challenged, her eyes searching.

It was a plea, not for privacy, but for basic decency. "We all know moms gossip," she added, referencing the judgment and side-eyes at school gates across the country.

"And so I have to make a choice to move through the world as myself in spite of all the noise that's created. But maybe there would be less noise if people remembered that I'm a real person," Markle reflected.

And then, a moment of lightness came, to ground herself in the moment. "Pinch me. I'm real," she said with a smile, as Chang reaffirmed her authenticity.

A Heartfelt Call for Humanity and a Glimpse Into the Past

This portion of the interview wasn't just a clapback. It was a spiritual reset. Here, Meghan Markle wasn't the controversial Duchess or the difficult royal escapee. She was simply a woman trying to reclaim her voice.

In another reflective moment that happened in a new episode of her Netflix series "With Love, Meghan," Markle opened up about the pieces of the United Kingdom (U.K.) she still misses — a surprising twist from someone who has long tried to move forward.

It's been five years since Markle and her husband turned their backs on royal duty, packed up their royal baggage, and left the U.K. behind in a blaze of controversy and public attention.

But now, from the tranquil luxury of their sprawling Santa Barbara estate, Markle has revealed a startling, deeply personal longing for a certain aspect of the U.K. — and no, it's not the pomp and pageantry of Buckingham Palace.

In a moment that stunned even her closest fans, the Duchess of Sussex has confessed that the one thing she truly misses about Britain… is a radio station.

From Palaces to Playlists: Meghan Markle Opens up About Her Unexpected Emotional Connection

The revelation came during a breezy exchange in the new season of her Netflix series "With Love, Meghan," where the 44-year-old sat down for a candid chat with "Queer Eye" star Tan France. But what started as lighthearted banter turned into something far more revealing.

"Honestly, one of the things I miss the most about the U.K. is the radio station called 'Magic,'" Markle divulged with a smile that barely masked her wistfulness. In response, France didn't hold back, "Magic FM? Wow. Now, um, sorry to say this to you publicly, but that's such a grandma station."

But Markle, ever the poised rebel, fired back with warmth and wit, "I'll be that grandma. My favorite station in my car is called 'Mom Jeans.' These are throwback, great sing-along [sic], you forget they existed. I love it."

It was a fleeting, tender moment — but one that peeled back the polished exterior and offered a rare glimpse into Markle's private nostalgia for a simpler time, long before royal scandals and palace power plays dominated her every move.

Royal Escape: Five Years of Freedom, Lawsuits, and Longing

It was January 2020 when Markle and the Duke of Sussex detonated their royal lives in a bombshell move dubbed "Megxit." Fleeing intense media scrutiny and the relentless grip of royal protocol, the couple first landed in Canada, then briefly camped out in Tyler Perry's Beverly Hills mansion, before planting roots in the idyllic seaside town of Santa Barbara.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year," a spokesperson confirmed at the time. The same person explained that the couple had embraced a peaceful and private life in their new neighborhood and expressed their hope that both their own family's space and that of their neighbors would be treated with the same respect.

However, privacy came at a cost. Even in sunny California, the press followed them with drones and lenses. The duo ended up filing a lawsuit against a paparazzo for using a drone to capture images of their son without consent. This marked just one of several bitter legal battles they've fought against media intrusion on both sides of the Atlantic.

Goodbye Crown, Hello California Dreams

Santa Barbara offered more than peace and palm trees — it was a chance to start over. In an official statement released at the time, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex outlined their decision to seek a more independent life.

The statement said that the Royal Family respected and understood the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wish to live a more independent life as a family, which also aimed to remove the supposed public interest justification for media intrusion into their lives. The message added that they remained a valued part of Her Majesty's family.

Behind the scenes, though, tensions simmered. As Markle and her husband transitioned into privately funded royals, they lost formal roles but gained freedom — to speak, to earn, and to live life on their own terms.

Yet, even with sun-soaked beaches, Netflix deals, and podcast platforms, some pieces of the past still tug at Markle's heart, and the soft sounds of Magic FM clearly hit that emotional frequency.

What do YOU think of Markle's revelations? Has she finally said what needed to be said? What do you make of what she misses about the UK? Sound off in the comments — and don't hold back.