Meghan Markle is ‘like a Mean Girls teenager’ and would become ‘cold’ and ‘throw staff to the wolves’ when ‘something went poorly, often due to her own demands’, bombshell article claims

Meghan Markle has been described as acting ‘like a Mean Girls teenager’ and becoming ‘cold’ towards staff in a damning profile in Vanity Fair.

The Duchess of Sussex would reportedly be ‘warm and effusive’ towards employees at the start before turning ‘cold and withholding toward the person she perceived to be responsible’ when something ‘went poorly, often due to Meghan and Harry’s own demands’.

A source who worked in media projects told the publication: ‘She’s constantly playing checkers- I’m not even going to say chess – but she’s just very aware of where everybody is on her board. 

‘And when you are not in, you are to be thrown to the wolves at any given moment,’ which they say meant ‘undermining’ behaviour, adding: ‘It’s talking behind your back. It’s gnawing at your sense of self. Really, like, Mean Girls teenager.’

However, producer Jane Marie, worked with the couple during development of Archewell audio projects, insisted to Vanity Fair that Meghan is ‘just a lovely, genuine person’. 

Elsewhere, the profile details allegations from former employees of Meghan who reportedly felt mistreated during their time working with her.

These claims, which echo accusations from her time at Kensington Palace, paint a troubling picture of a woman whose behaviour allegedly left staff ‘having therapy’ and led to allegations of ‘bullying’ behind the scenes. These allegations were vehemently denied by representatives of Meghan and Harry at the time. 

MailOnline has contacted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment. 

Despite the bombshell allegations made in the profile, staff loyal to Meghan and Harry have previously defended the couple to US Weekly magazine, describing the Sussexes as ‘caring’ bosses who give employees their children’s old baby clothes, fresh flowers and ‘care packages’.

Josh Kettler, Harry’s chief of staff who left after just three months in August last year, insisted he was ‘warmly welcomed’ by the pair and describes them as ‘dedicated and hardworking’.  

Ben Browning, Archewell’s former head of content – who was responsible for their tell-all Netflix documentary but then left before the end of his contract- says his experience at the company and with Meghan and Harry in general ‘was positive and supportive’

Their PR chief, ‘global press secretary’ Ashley Hansen, who is leaving the company to start her own firm, says they treated her with ‘the kind of concern and care a parent would express if it were their own child’ when she took time off for surgery, adding that they also sent flowers and gifts.

Another anonymous source said Harry would ask what staff have done at the weekend on work Zoom calls and says as a team they plan events like karaoke nights and ‘holiday parties’.

Other staff members said they had received dog collars for new pets and parents-to-be were also given ‘brand-new gifts and top-notch secondhand stuff from the couple themselves ‘like unused car seats and baby items they no longer need’.

An employee said that their skin was bothering them and claimed the Duchess of Sussex offered to put together a kit to help them. 

And it was said that no-one leaves the couple’s Montecito home empty-handed. ‘Whenever staff goes to their house, they leave with a basket with fresh flowers, fresh fruit, fresh eggs,’ one staffer said. 

Tom Bower, the royal author and investigative journalist, described the revelations as ‘devastating’ for Meghan, especially given her recent attempts to reshape her public persona as a warm, loving mother and wife. 

‘Having strongly denied the accusations that she bullied her staff in Kensington Palace, the revival of her image of the Difficult Duchess is a disaster just on the eve of the launch of Netflix‘s ‘With Love, Meghan’. 

‘Having invested so much to re-brand herself as a loving, caring Californian mother and wife, the VF disclosures have poisoned the smiling image of the welcoming home-maker. 

Prince Harry, too, faces growing scrutiny, with experts noting his portrayal in the Vanity Fair piece as ‘lost, out of his depth, and naive.’ 

Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator, warned that the couple’s reputation in the US could be severely damaged. 

‘Harry is portrayed as lost, out of his depth and naïve. Neither, according to the article, appear to understand what a successful career in show business actually involves.’

According to Fitzwilliams, the couple’s attempts to project a caring, philanthropic image through efforts like helping victims of California’s wildfires are unlikely to gain traction in light of the ongoing allegations. 

‘The Sussexes are attempting to project a caring image by helping some of those affected by the cataclysmic wildfires currently ravaging California. They won’t get far after publicity is given to this. 

‘Her With Love, Meghan cookery series is, judging from the trailer, saccharine and silly. This was postponed and is now scheduled for a release on 4th March but unenthusiastic online reaction might make the streaming giant think twice and dump it and, when their contract runs out later in the year, preserve very little of it, if any. 

‘The Sussexes have made so many accusations against the royal family. They, especially Meghan, now have a lot to answer. Nobody likes bullies, especially entitled bullies!’

He continued: ‘It speaks volumes that the Sussexes were not available for interview. This is a probing, balanced article that has been researched with interviews from the Sussexes’s admirers and detractors.

‘It also makes the case that they are now way out of their depth in showbiz. Also they are far from being admired by their neighbours in Montecito. They left Britain to escape press scrutiny. 

‘Yet in the US, they want favourable press. The article concludes there is precious little to them, with Harry wanting to reconnect with his family. I fear whilst he is with Meghan, this is unlikely to occur.’ 

Harry and Meghan were on the cusp of evacuation last week as the apocalyptic fires ravaged Los Angeles and headed towards their Montecito mansion.

Montecito was placed under a red flag warning as strong Santa Ana winds – branded the Devil Winds – fuelled ‘explosive fire growth’ and brought an increased threat of more blazes across the greater LA region.

Montecito Fire warned that the strong winds could cause fires to ‘grow rapidly’ and ‘behave erratically’, and told residents to be ‘ready to evacuate’.

Meghan and Harry rallied around LA fire victims by making donations to relief efforts through their Archewell Foundation and over the weekend served meals to survivors alongside the wife of embattled Governor Gavin Newsom. 

However, not everyone was impressed by their appearance with Family Ties star Bateman writing online: ‘Meghan Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers.

‘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.’

This came just days after they opened the doors of their mansion to friends and loved ones forced to evacuate due to the ongoing fires in California.

They also urged others to do the same as the blaze continued to tear through the West Coast city.

‘If a friend, loved one or pet has to evacuate and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do. And be sure to check in with any disabled or elderly neighbours to see if they need help evacuating,’ the couple urged.

‘Please consider donating clothing, children’s toys and clothing, and other essentials,’ they said, noting the American Red Cross is on the ground helping those in need.

The Duchess of Sussex decided to postpone the release of her Netflix cookery show With Love, Meghan, because of the destruction brought about by the fires – a decision that was praised by her fans.

However, this led to some wry remarks from those connected to the Royal Family, Richard Eden disclosed.

One friend of the royals pointed out to this week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex allowed their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey to be broadcast in 2021 even though Prince Philip was seriously ill in hospital. Prince Harry’s grandfather died four weeks later.

‘Meghan seemingly didn’t think twice about going ahead with the Oprah interview, did she?’ commented the royal source.

Some courtiers are even wondering whether the postponement of her cookery programme is a commercial one.

‘Would people really want to watch a glossy TV show about someone’s luxury lifestyle when thousands of Americans have seen their homes and lives destroyed?’ one figure with connections to the royals asked Eden this week.

It’s questionable whether the delay until March will make much difference to the appetite for such a programme. There will still be thousands of people homeless in three months’ time.

And the Oprah interview wasn’t the only project that the Sussexes knew would hurt Harry’s family but went ahead with anyway.

They recorded their Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan in 2022, when Queen Elizabeth was in rapidly declining health.

That six-part programme, broadcast in December – two months after the queen’s death – worsened relations with the royals by accusing them of ‘leaking’ and ‘planting’ stories in the media. 

Some even felt Meghan demonstrating the extravagant curtsy she had performed for the late Queen had the effect of mocking her. The Queen had died two months before it was broadcast.