Stars React With Mixed Feelings

Credit: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

‘Harry and Meghan’ on Netflix: Bethenny Frankel, Gayle King and More Stars React to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Show

A royally mixed reaction. While stars including Howard Stern and Bethenny Frankel have criticized Harry & Meghan, other celebs like Maren Morris and Gayle King have praised Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as their polarizing docuseries makes waves.

“I found it a little bit boring,” the Real Housewives of New York City alum said via a TikTok video after the first three episodes dropped on December 8. “It didn’t hold my attention. It seemed like they really wanted to be humanized. They wanted us to know that they are real human beings. … We believe that you are really in love and we believe that you’re really human beings.”

Frankel went on to suggest that the Suits alum “wanted” to “hang out with major celebrities” and gain notoriety from the famous family.

“It felt like this entire documentary was about how famous we are … it was relentless,” she continued. “If you are being trolled by the media, the royal family gave you the advice to say nothing because that’s the advice that most very famous people are given. If you add gasoline to a fire, the fire blows up even bigger. It feels like they — and Meghan in particular — just keep wanting to tell us more.”

The reality star added that the show was “a smash and grab job for money,” explaining: “It feels like, ‘Grab the bag because we’re leaving this thing and we gotta take everything we can.'”

Morris, for her part, defended Meghan before even tuning into the six-part show.

[jwplayer 6Ib882sy-zhNYySv2]

“This profound hatred and annoyance at Meghan Markle specifically — mostly coming from women, I have to say — it’s unfathomable to me. People are saying, ‘Oh, a woman should never take a man away from his family. That’s all that this is.’ Um, have you seen this family?” the country singer said via TikTok on December 9. “I just don’t [understand it]. I never have. But people have been annoyed by royals or a particular person in the royal family for centuries.”

Both Morris and Frankel referenced Wallis Simpson, the wife of King Edward VIII, in their lengthy videos — but their takes continued to differ.

“[King Edward VIII] left the family because they would not allow him to marry the woman he loved because she had been divorced,” the “My Church” songstress said. “When they didn’t allow Princess Margaret to marry Peter Townsend, she did not leave the family, but I kind of wish she had.”

The Bravo alum, meanwhile, suggested Harry and Meghan “left out big chucks” as producers of the series.

“They really wanted to push the [Princess] Diana aspect, the comparison, and I feel like it achieves the opposite result because Diana was there, five, six, seven times longer than Meghan and entered the monarchy when she was 19. It’s just not the same comparison,” Frankel said of Harry comparing his wife to his late mother. “Meghan walked into the monarchy a divorcée, older and a woman of color. Wallis Simpson was with the Duke of Windsor, who abdicated the throne, [and she] was a Jewish woman who was divorced and both of those elements contributed to it being controversial.”

While the first three episodes of Harry & Meghan detailed their love story and touched on the actress’ early struggles to adjust to life in the U.K. amid allegations of racism in the media, volume two appears to turn up the drama leading up to their royal exit in January 2020. In the latest teaser, Harry alleged the couple experienced “institutional gaslighting” as The Firm was “happy to lie to protect” Prince William but “they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.”

Scroll through for more stars speaking out about Harry & Meghan:

Credit: Courtesy of Ant Anstead/Instagram

Ant Anstead

“A very important opinion,” the Celebrity IOU Joyride host captioned a December 22 video via Instagram.

“You know, I posted a picture that I was binge-watching the ‘Harry & Meghan’ documentary,” the British expat said. “It’s obviously controversial — I mean, I get it. It’s [a] divided opinion. But so many people have reached out and they’ve asked me my opinion and I think that’s because I’m British and I choose to live in America. And I’ve had a bit of time to reflect and think about it what is my opinion.”

Right before he was seemingly about to deliver his stance, the doorbell rang.

“Hello? Oh, pizza’s here!” he yelled as he dropped the phone, ending his video.

Credit: David Buchan/Shutterstock

Sharon Osbourne

Days before volume two dropped, the Osbournes alum discussed the “distasteful” docuseries with Morgan on his show Uncensored. “I was totally bored by the whining, the whining, the whining,” she said. “And you know, the curtsy and the thing she said about Medieval Times — the lunch with the queen was like medieval times which as you know is a Disney-type entertainment place for kids. It is just so horribly disrespectful and just a whine fest. I mean, is [Harry’s] book going to be the same thing?”

The former X Factor judge called the Netflix project “trash,” pointing out that the couple could have used the opportunity to discuss their charity work instead. “Everything has been abused by the public, by the press, by the royal family,” Osbourne said. “Well, do you know what? You have a great life, you have a beautiful family, and you are so much in love. Move on. Get a life and move on.”

Credit: AFF-USA/Shutterstock

Meghan King

“In the latest ep of Meghan & Harry I found myself turning to their side,” the Real Housewives of Orange County alum wrote via her Instagram Story after the six-part series ended. “I think Harry seems like his mother and the two of them are in love and want to protect their kids. There’s nothing more relatable in the world than that.”

King also called out the “f’d up British media” for their “trash and embellished” stories about celebrities — including herself. “I can only imagine how unsafe they feel judging from my baseline of often feeling vulnerable and unsafe,” she added.

Credit: Scott Roth/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Howard Stern

The radio host called the couple “whiny bitches” after sitting through the “painful” first three episodes.

“I wouldn’t stay with it, but my wife [Beth Ostrosky Stern] wants to watch it. You know, we have shows we watch. But they come off like such whiny bitches. I gotta tell you man, I just don’t get it,” he said on December 12. “I get Prince Harry being pissed off at the monarchy for his mother. They treated her like s–t … I feel bad for Prince Harry losing his mother and all that. So you got my empathy there. But Jesus Christ, when those two start whining about ‘Wah wah wah, and they don’t like me’ — and [Meghan] wants to be beloved in this country, but man, oh man. … It’s like The Kardashians — except boring.”

Credit: John Salangsang/Shutterstock

Kathy Griffin

“They met on freaking Instagram. Prince Harry was just flipping through Instagram, looking for a hot brunette like every other guy in L.A.,” the comedian began on December 11 via Instagram before jokingly comparing Harry to Armie Hammer, who has denied sexual misconduct and cannibal allegations. “I’m disappointed. I thought this was going to be a great love story. … Prince Harry’s like Armie freaking Hammer. What if Prince Harry’s the new House of Hammer?”

Griffin claimed she wasn’t “trashing” the pair — but questioned them.

“Acting like they can do so much good in the world, which is great and aspirational,” she said. “But when’s the last time a royal did anything that helped the world? That’s all I’m saying,” she said. “[Meghan] kinda acts like she was never on Deal or No Deal and when I say ‘kinda acts like,’ I mean they don’t acknowledge it at all which is hilarious to me. … You don’t think it’s funny when Meghan acts like she doesn’t know what hair and makeup is?”

Credit: Andy Kropa/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Bethenny Frankel

Frankel’s lengthy rant included the suggestion that the couple should make a documentary about women’s issues and racism instead of retelling their story about the royal family.

“It seems like she’s someone who entered into the monarchy and wanted to be in the leading role and that role was already taken by Kate. So what is the goal?” she asked, referring to Princess Kate. “You got the money. You got attention you didn’t want … but you do want. So, what is the goal? So if you want to tackle women’s issues and racism, why not do documentaries about that? Why not talk about that? It seems like the biggest topic you’re talking about is this one family — the monarchy — that you’re telling us is archaic and we already knew that! Can we be done now because we did it, we got it, we heard it. … It feels like this documentary was designed to garner sympathy and it just seems like it is achieving the opposite results.”

Credit: AFF-USA/Shutterstock

Maren Morris

“This profound hatred and annoyance at Meghan Markle specifically — mostly coming from women, I have to say — it’s unfathomable to me,” Morris said via TikTok. “People are saying, ‘Oh, a woman should never take a man away from his family. That’s all that this is.’ Um, have you seen this family?”

Credit: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock

Piers Morgan

The British broadcaster has made it clear he isn’t fond of the pair over the years. After watching the first three parts and seeing the gaslighting remark in the teaser, Morgan tweeted: “King Charles needs to strip these two poisonous rats of all remaining titles & ties to the Royal Family.. and needs to do it fast before they destroy the Monarchy.”

Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Gayle King

Just as Harry and Meghan have denied asking for privacy when they initially announced their decision to step down as senior members of the royal family, King defended them against Andy Cohen’s suggestion that Harry & Meghan is ironic since the duchess said she’d never do a reality show.

“It’s not a reality show,” King said on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on December 8. “It’s not.”