Everyone, from the rich and famous to regular homeowners, have been affected by the devastating wildfires that have wiped out much of Los Angeles, and last week, the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped in to lend a helping hand.
Harry and Meghan – who was born and raised in LA – joined volunteers in the city, where they were pictured hugging residents and speaking to emergency crews at an evacuation centre and food bank. In a bid to help as much as they can, Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, have donated money via their Archewell Foundation, as well as clothing, children’s items and other essential supplies. The couple – who moved to California in 2020, where they live with five-year old son Archie and three-year-old daughter Lilibet – have also opened up their Montecito mansion to friends who have been affected by the fires. An insider tells heat, ‘Meghan is a California girl, so this is heartbreaking for her on so many levels. Emotionally, they are very impacted by this, the collective pain and suffering that this city they both love is going through is devastating.’
However, not everyone has praised the couple’s efforts, and they’ve faced some brutal criticism. Actress Justine Bateman, known for her roles in sitcoms Family Ties and Arrested Development, bashed the pair online, writing, ‘What a repulsive “photo op” they achieved. They are “touring the damage”? Are they politicians now?’ They don't live here, they are tourists – disaster tourists.’ Others have labelled them as ‘opportunistic’, and they’ve even been accused of angling for good publicity, which has only added to their upset.
Our source says, ‘Meghan and Harry are stunned and appalled at the criticism they’ve endured over all this. It confirms what they already knew to a big extent, that they can’t win, no matter what they do. Their haters will always be out in force, finding any way possible to tear them down. For Meghan, especially, it cuts extremely deep and touches a major nerve. This is her home city burning to the ground, she wants to help, and yet by doing that, she’s still getting treated like garbage. Harry is telling her how proud he is and that the only way to handle it is to turn the other cheek. But, of course, it gets them down and hurts like hell for both of them.’
They add, ‘They could have easily left town, but they actually drove two hours towards the fire to help out at the World Central Kitchen. They served meals to people that have been evacuated, they spoke with people and tried to offer some solace. It was exactly what you’d expect of Princess Diana’s son.’
In light of the tragedy – which has forced over 100,000 LA residents to evacuate their homes, and has sadly claimed the lives of at least 24 people – Meghan made the decision to postpone her new Netflix show With Love, Meghan, which was due to premiere on 15 January. In an emotional statement, she announced, ‘I'm thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California.' Meghan reportedly ‘didn’t hesitate’ to delay the project, given the light-hearted nature of the show and felt that this just wasn’t the right time.
The series, which will see the Duchess sharing lifestyle tips and tricks to the viewers and a whole host of celebrity pals including chef Roy Choi, actress Mindy Kaling and Suits star Abigail Spencer, will instead air on 4 March. It’s particularly bad timing for Meghan, as the Netflix show is a huge win for her. The series’ release was meant to coincide with the big launch of her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which she originally announced in March last year, but has been plagued with delays. At the start of January, Meghan even rejoined Instagram, showing she was really gearing up to make her big comeback as a lifestyle queen.
And with Netflix rumoured to be teaming up with Meghan to sell her products off the back of the show, this is also a huge financial opportunity. However, it’s clear she couldn’t risk the controversy of launching at this time – and is crossing her fingers there will be no more delays. The source says, ‘Meghan has a huge desire to succeed and, in this world, having wealth at the level of a billionaire is taken as the ultimate sign of achievement. Having that kind of money will mean she and Harry have a chance to help the world in such an impactful way and never have to worry about money again. They have huge expenses, especially when it comes to the around-the-clock security that they rely on. The bills add up and it’s not something they can scrimp on as they want this protection for them and their kids.’
Achieving billionaire status would also help Harry and Meghan prove to everyone that they made the right decision in leaving the royal family four years ago, which marked the start of their ongoing rift with Harry’s relatives. The insider adds, ‘Make no mistake, this is also a way to show all the haters wrong, especially Harry’s family. This would be the ultimate one-up and with the potential of this Netflix marketing partnership, Meghan genuinely feels billionaire status is within reach.’