Meghan Markle had a Christmas from hell after being accused of staging paparazzi pictures while shopping in California.
Photographers caught the Duchess of Sussex while she was out and about in Montecito in November 2021 but many believe the photos may have been staged.
One X (formerly Twitter) user @lord_belacquan said: “Meghan was so triggered by an article saying she was staying at home over the Ellen backlash, she staged a paparazzi shoot of her shopping and trying to look busy with two phones that were switched off.”
Another, @hrrysgreysuit, claimed: “She called the Paps. Santa Barbara is a small community, paparazzi aren’t just hanging around waiting for her to come out.”
But others were quick to defend her, with one user, @sneezecocoa, saying: “Meghan looks absolutely gorgeous!
“And being papped from time to time is expected, it’s the illegal and intrusive actions of the media and paparazzi I have an issue with.”
This came after royal commentator Neil Sean claimed Meghan was “so upset” by the backlash following her appearance on The Ellen Show that she has “taken to indoors.”
Many called the interview with Ellen Degeneres “cringeworthy” with the Duchess of Sussex dancing and singing in front of some LA street vendors as a prank.
One critic commented: “Meghan popping up on Ellen further proves she never understood the difference between a royal and a celebrity. What an epic fall from the top.”
She had recently caused controversy in November 2021 by calling US senators on their private phones and using her royal title to urge them to vote in favour of compulsory paid family leave.
Meghan told The Ellen Show: “I think that people truly forget, or don’t even know that in this country, it’s one of the only six countries in the entire world and the only wealthy nation in the entire world that does not mandate and have a federal paid leave program.
“Everybody knows, especially if you have had a child and even if you haven’t, you know how hard it is and how critical it is in those first few weeks if not months to be together as a family.
“And the fact that we don’t offer that here is something that now as a mom of two, I will do everything that I can to make sure that we can implement that for people.”
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