Meghan Markle faces ‘real threat’ as expert warns latest allegations will harm her career

A PR expert has warned the staffing row will eclipse “almost anything” the Sussex couple do.

Meghan Markle has been embroiled in the latest staffing row (Image: Getty)

Meghan Markle is faced with a “real threat” following the latest string of allegations against her if any of them escalate, a PR expert has claimed.

The Duchess of Sussex caused a media storm this month after one of America’s most prestigious entertainment news sources, The Hollywood Reporter, published a report which a current senior staffer alleged that she acts like a “dictator in high heels” and colleagues are allegedly “terrified” of her and her “belittling” behaviour towards them.

The report was followed by Us Weekly’s cover story which in turn cited various named and anonymous current and former employees of the Sussex couple who rushed to Meghan’s defence and praised her for her “kindness”.

But new claims regarding Meghan’s attitude emerged after a courtier who reportedly worked for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they were working royals alleged to the Daily Beast that Meghan was a “demon” boss who had “psycho moments” during their service and made people “feel like s**t”.

Now PR expert Eric Schiffer, chair of Reputation Management Consultants, claimed that there could still be more from the latest staffing row against Meghan Markle.

Meghan Markle was praised for her kindness by some of her staff (Image: Getty)
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He told Newsweek: “I would say that this will depend on other things. For example, is there a risk of litigation from any of these people? Are there more things that will come out? Will other media organizations pick this up and want to do more exclusives on some of the accusers?

“The question is, what is the life of the set of allegations? If it can stay alive it becomes additional stories that start to solidify a serious image hit. If it’s a short-term problem, then less so.

“The question is, will this extend? They’re attempting to throw water on it by showing others who have been in that environment, but it will come down to, can this story stay alive?”

Mr Schiffer added: “We saw Ellen DeGeneres get eviscerated because new allegations continued to drop,” Schiffer said. “And I suspect that you’ll see other stories [about Meghan] that go deeper but perhaps not as intense as Ellen yet. But with Meghan, depending upon the specifics, it will cost her with brands.”

He claimed that the staffing row will eclipse “almost anything” the Sussex couple do, explaining: “It goes to trust now. This is someone who had these allegations, denied them initially, has worked hard to rebuild trust, and now we’re hearing from a respected news organisation a pattern of behaviour with employees that’s been hidden under a rock, and that’s revealing this ugliness that will haunt her.

“And it’s reputational insanity, when she already had a problem in the past, for her to want to be seen as a repugnant manager who’s orchestrating this kind of reckless environment where she’s a Godzilla to employees. It’s the last thing she wants as part of her brand.

Meghan Markle was labelled a ‘dictator in high heels’ by some of her staff (Image: Getty)

“She’s going to really need to look at, to the extent this is true, how she’s coming across and ensuring she gets it right.”

The Hollywood Reporter stood by its report, with Co-Editor in Chief Maer Roshan saying to Access Hollywood: “Our reporter spoke to, I think, a dozen people. Most of them are people who worked very closely with the couple in various capacities now and previously.

“Our reporter talked to a very high-up source who works for the couple and said: ‘Everyone is terrified of Meghan.'”

Some of Meghan Markle’s defenders included the Sussexes’s press secretary, Ashley Hansen, and former Archewell president Mandana Dayani.

Ms Hansen told Us Weekly: “When I told them, I was met with the kind of concern and care a parent would express if it were their own child. I was asked what I needed, how and if they could help, and told to take as much time as I needed.”

Ms Dayani also said: “Part of the profound injustice of having to speak publicly on this in light of these endless and damaging narratives is that so much of the kindness, mentorship, and support that Prince Harry and Meghan share with others happens quietly behind closed doors.

“Throughout every global crisis, their first question was always: ‘How can we help?’ Whether they were veterans, women, refugees, animals in harm, they both showed up. Never asking for anything in return. […] Just last week, as Meghan and I were planning our next lunch, I told her how excited I was to pick her brain on my latest ventures. These are kind, decent, caring people who I am very proud to call my friends.”

The Duchess of Sussex has declined to comment on the latest claims.

It follows previous bullying allegations which were made against the Duchess back in 2018, which she has long and vehemently denied.