Meghan Markle’s mother describing an approach from a journalist who offered her money for stories about her royal daughter went viral on TikTok.

Doria Ragland said she was approached by a reporter who told her she “could get a lot of money” if she gave an interview.

Her remarks were part of Meghan’s 2022 Netflix biopic Harry & Meghan and a clip of the moment went viral on TikTok.

Why It Matters

Harry and Meghan’s criticisms of the conduct of the British press have long been a part of their story.

The TikTok clip was liked 36.7k times and viewed 545k times and also showed Meghan discussing the different reactions between her mother’s side of the family and her father’s side.

The post had the caption: “The people in Meghan, Harry and their kids life are the ones who deserve to be there—not because of titles or history, but because they respect the boundaries they’ve set and the life they’ve chosen.

“Setting boundaries isn’t pushing people away; it’s protecting your peace and making room for what truly matters.”

What Doria Ragland Said About the Press

Ragland told the show: “He pulled next to me and he said, ‘you know, I’m just trying to get a story. You know you could get a lot of money for this.’ And I just looked at him and I said, ‘this is my child. I’ve nothing to say’.”

Meghan contrasted her Black mother’s silence with her White father Thomas Markle’s side of the family.

She said: “The U.K. media, I truly believe, wanted my mom’s side of my family to be the ones that all this drama could be stirred up with. ”

And suddenly you just have my mom who’s classy and quiet in there and then you have the other side of my family which is just acting differently.” Harry and Meghan have accused the British press of racism multiple times in the past.

The show displayed a family tree that the Daily Mail printed in November 2017 which described her “Mum’s Side” as “Dirty Poor in the Deep South.” The article carried the online headline: “Now that’s upwardly mobile! How in 150 years, Meghan Markle’s family went from cotton slaves to royalty via freedom in the U.S. Civil War… while her dad’s ancestors included a maid at Windsor Castle.”

What to Know

Meghan and her father, Thomas Markle, became estranged after he was caught staging paparazzi pictures for money in the days leading up to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. After the ceremony he also did regular interviews on British TV criticizing his daughter and the royal family.

Meghan’s immediate family on her father’s side were not interviewed for the Netflix series. There was, however, an interview with Ashleigh Hale, estranged daughter of Meghan’s half sister Samantha Markle.

Hale described how she had been brought up by her grandparents and later in life developed a friendship with Meghan.

Harry and Meghan have been criticized for making money out of projects that criticized the royal family, including through the multiyear, multimillion dollar Netflix deal that the Harry & Meghan documentary was part of.

What People Are Saying

One fan replied, “Her mom classy. The white side ghetto as hell,” while another wrote: “Black queens are protectors.”

What Happens Next

During the clip, Meghan contrasted her mother’s silence with Samantha Markle her half sister, who did give interviews to the media. Samantha has sued Meghan for defamation over comments made during the Netflix documentary as well as her 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview and a hearing has been listed at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal for the week commencing September 8. Meghan denies defaming her.