Meghan Markle's Ex-Aide Addresses Bullying Accusations Against Duchess of Sussex, Says Staff Quit During Tour to Africa With Prince Harry
A former aide who worked for Meghan Markle and had long been tied to the royal family addressed bullying accusations against the Duchess of Sussex, revealing she was one of 10 staffers asked about their personal encounters with the former actress.
Samantha Cohen confirmed she was interviewed as part of Buckingham Palace's investigation into the allegations, RadarOnline.com can report.
The ex-Suits star was notoriously accused of creating a hostile work environment and reducing aides to tears back in 2021. The claims emerged just days before Markle and Prince Harry sat down for their explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Cohen had worked for the royal family since 2001, a role she ditched in 2019. When the bombshell claims surfaced, she had been serving as Markle's private secretary.
"I was only supposed to stay for six months but stayed for 18 — we couldn't find a replacement for me and when we did, we took them on tour to Africa with Harry and Meghan to show them the ropes but they left (quit) as well while in Africa," she told the Herald Sun on Monday.
Two royal staffers alleged they'd been bullied while working for Markle. The HR review was privately funded by the late Queen Elizabeth and carried out by an independent investigator.
Meanwhile, the Duchess' legal team denied any allegations of bullying — calling the claims a "calculated smear campaign."
The investigation concluded in June 2022, as we previously reported.
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A senior royal aide claimed the findings would lead to some changes while noting the findings would not ever be made public.
A palace spokesman previously told the Sunday Times, "Our commitment to look into the circumstances around the allegations from former staff of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is being taken forward but we will not be providing a public commentary on it."
More recently, the royal family was rocked by news of Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis on the heels of King Charles announcing that he, too, had been diagnosed with cancer.
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The Princess of Wales revealed she had already started undergoing "preventative chemotherapy" after abdominal surgery in January.
"We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace," the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared in a statement.