Meghan Markle has revealed in a new interview with Fortune that she made a conscious choice to turn off comments on Instagram, both on her personal account and for her lifestyle brand As Ever, as a form of “self-preservation”.
The Duchess of Sussex spoke candidly during an appearance at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington D.C. on Tuesday (October 14), where she discussed her “complicated relationship” with social media.
Meghan Markle on her ‘complicated relationship’ with social media in Fortune interview
Speaking with Fortune’s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell, the Duchess of Sussex reflected on her ongoing efforts to protect her mental health while navigating the online world.
She described her decision to limit interaction and turn off her comments on social media as both personal and intentional. She clarified that it was meant to “not just protecting myself or the people that work with me, but also the supporters”.
She said: “I have had a very complicated relationship with social media, as you can probably imagine.”
“There are certain things that I have done, just for my own self preservation,” Meghan explained, as reported by HELLO!. “But also that I’ve applied to the brand and for the people that are incredibly supportive.”
The duchess said the decision wasn’t only about shielding herself from online hostility, but also about protecting her followers from negativity.
There are certain things that I have done, just for my own self preservation.
She continued: “By design, I also recognise that a lot of those people aren’t going to my page to see negativity, and so not just protecting myself or the people that work with me, but also the supporters. So I don’t have the comment section on.”
However, Meghan acknowledged that this “choice” comes with trade-offs, particularly missing out on direct positive engagement.
Still, she said the overwhelming “groundswell of support” is what she chooses to focus on, rather than the criticism. She also reflected on the challenge of building a meaningful digital community without the usual tools of interaction.
“How do I build a community?” she mused. “That is so key to this brand and it’s so key to how I like to show up in the world. How do we actually connect if you can’t have comments and exchange?”
With Love, Meghan on Netflix
During the conversation, Meghan also shared an update about her Netflix series With Love, Meghan. She revealed that she and her team are discussing new ways to evolve the show’s format.
Having spent seven years acting in Suits, she noted the workload of traditional television and said her team is now exploring shorter, more accessible formats, like bite-sized content that still reflects the ethos of As Ever.
The duchess said: “It’s a year of learns. It’s amazing to sit and watch a show for 30 minutes, but how can I give you a recipe in two minutes? And where can I share that with you? And how that continues to grow As Ever.”
The Fortune summit runs until Wednesday. It also features an impressive line-up of speakers including former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, singer and actress Selena Gomez, and author Brené Brown.
Meghan’s Washington appearance came just days after she and Prince Harry visited New York City for World Mental Health Day events organised by Project Healthy Minds.
The couple attended both the charity’s gala on October 9 and its festival the following day. During the events, they used their platform to speak about digital safety, mental health, and building supportive communities.
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