Meghan Markle's 'Death Stare' at Aide in Australia Left Former Sussex Staffers 'PTSD-Stricken' After Clip Went Viral
Meghan Markle's 'death stare' has gone viral.
April 22 2026, Published 7:50 p.m. ET
After Meghan Markle fired off a chilling "death stare" at an aide who rubbed her the wrong way during her faux-royal trip to Australia with Prince Harry, several former Sussex staffers were left 'PTSD-stricken' watching the moment unfold in a viral video, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The look came when Markle, 44, spotted her chief of staff, Sarah Fosmo, tap Harry, 41, on the back to alert him to fans lining the floors above at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, as the employee received a dagger-like glare from her boss.
'A Workplace Psychopath'
Markle's 'death stare' as the employee touched Prince Harry's back was picked up from a more forward angle and went viral.
"So, another former employee told me, 'it gives me PTSD' – that was their reaction after seeing the clip," Tom Sykes revealed on his April 21 The Royalist podcast, recounting how an ex-Sussex staffer reacted to the viral moment.
He added that Markle's icy glare "revived memories" for multiple former employees, bringing back what they described as traumatic experiences working under her.
"It's classic Meghan, literally a workplace psychopath, smiling sweetly in public while shooting daggers when she thinks no one's watching," the royal expert claimed one of the ex-workers fumed. "She treats anyone beneath her as completely disposable."
16 Months Is Considered 'Long-Serving' For Sussex Employees
Tom Sykes noted how high turnover makes Sarah Fosmo's 16-month tenure of the longest on the current Sussex team.
Sykes described Fosmo as a "tough cookie" with serious credentials from her time at the Gates Foundation, where he said she was a "widely respected senior figure," but questioned how long she could survive working for the Sussexes, given their long track record of burning through staff.
"I do wonder whether she would be willing to put up with such treatment for much longer," Sykes pondered about Fosmo after receiving what he called a "mega death stare," noting that she's only worked for Harry and Markle since December 2024.
He snarked, "But of course, these days, that makes her one of their longest serving employees."
'Dictator in High Heels'
Markle has been the subject of several high-profile exposés about her being an alleged bully of a boss.
Sykes said that the Sussexes' camp told him the viral video was "designed to be manipulative and to perpetuate a false narrative" that Markle is difficult to work with.
He then brought up the infamous bullying report that Buckingham Palace had done following allegations that Markle's behavior drove several key employees out of their jobs while still a working royal.
There have also been former senior staffers since "Megxit" who have claimed that "Duchess Difficult" is a "dictator in high heels" known to make grown men cry. One high-up staffer alleged to The Hollywood Reporter that "Everyone is terrified of Meghan" and that Team Sussex had lost more than 18 employees.
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Meghan Markle 'Is Desperate to Be Seen as Royal'
One source claimed Markle still believes in the 'no touching of royals' protocol.
Sykes revealed what might have triggered Markle's reaction to Fosmo's gentle tap on Harry's back, as the former actress quickly grabbed her husband with both hands.
"Well, one source told me that Meghan's visual scolding of Cosmo was very likely down to her belief that nobody should touch either of them," as royals were always seen as "a class apart," he explained.
"So this source told me Meghan is desperate to be seen as royal. That poor aide undermined the narrative by treating Harry like a normal person. And you can see she gets the look," Sykes noted of Markle's behavior that resulted in a "very clear reprimand" for Fosmo.
