"Just brutal" - Martina Navratilova on British media's harassment of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry before they left the royal family
American tennis legend Martina Navratilova has come forward to lend her support to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Navratilova expressed sympathy towards the duo after listening to Prince Harry's narration of the events that led the couple to step away from the royal family at the beginning of 2020.
In a documentary series about mental health - The Me You Can't See - Prince Harry revealed how he was greeted with absolute silence from his family members when he asked for help for his wife, who was being hounded by the British media. The former Hollywood actress married Prince Harry in 2018 and from the moment the couple made their relationship public, she was allegedly harassed by the British media.
"Within the first eight days of our relationship being made public was when they said, 'Harry's girl is (almost) straight outta Compton' and that her 'exotic DNA will be thickening the royal blood'. We got followed, photographed, chased, harassed, and not just by traditional media, but social media platforms as well. I felt completely helpless. I thought my family would help, but every single ask, request, warning, whatever it is, just got met with total silence or total neglect," Prince Harry said.
Often known for standing up and taking a stance when it comes to serious issues, former World No. 1 Navratilova took to social media to show support for the couple, particularly Meghan Markle.
"Just brutal," Martina Navratilova tweeted.
Just brutal… twitter.com/nadinebh_/stat…
Harry further stated that he regretted not standing up to racism earlier in his relationship with Meghan, and feared losing another woman after his mother Diana Spencer.
“Do I have any regrets? Yeah. My biggest regret is not making more of a stance earlier on in my relationship with my wife and calling out the racism when I did. History was repeating itself. My mother was chased to her death while she was in a relationship with someone that wasn't white and now look what's happened," he added.
"Swiatek, Jabeur great role models for aspiring girls and boys everywhere" - Martina Navratilova
Iga Swiatek lifted her third Grand Slam title on Saturday as she beat Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6(5) in one hour and 51 minutes in the final of the 2022 US Open. Martina Navratilova, who was a part of the trophy presentation ceremony, later took to Twitter to assure fans that women's tennis was in good hands.
"What a treat to be sharing the stage with two champions- congrats @iga_swiatek and also to @ons_Jabeur - both great role models for aspiring girls and boys everywhere ! Women’s tennis is in good hands," Navratilova wrote.
What a treat to be sharing the stage with two champions- congrats @iga_swiatek and also to @ons_Jabeur - both great role models for aspiring girls and boys everywhere ! Women’s tennis is in good hands!!! https://t.co/6nNHXQCR1b