Oprah Turns on Meghan Markle: TV Titan Mocks New 'Sussex' Surname Before Revealing How She Helped the Duchess With a Backyard 'Problem'
Oprah Winfrey poked fun at Meghan Markle's surname change despite being an A-list ally and neighbour of ex-'Suits' star and husband Prince Harry.
July 17 2025, Published 8:17 a.m. ET
Chat show veteran Oprah Winfrey has mocked Meghan Markle for changing her surname.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the chat show queen, an A-list ally of the Duchess and her husband Prince Harry, couldn't resist poking fun at the pair while discussing what it's like being their neighbor in Montecito.
A-list Ally
Oprah mispronounced the name Sussex by adding extra 'xesssses' at the end.
Oprah's dig comes four months after Meghan insisted her pal Mindy Kaling should use the last name "Sussex" while referring to her during an appearance on the former Suits' star's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.
When Oprah was asked in a new interview if she would enjoy receiving baby chicks as a gift, the veteran talk show host said no, and added, "I'd run them straight over to the Sussexes" while mispronouncing the name by adding extra "xesssses" at the end.
The billionaire then playfully repeated "the Sussexes" once again for good measure.
'Backyard Problem'
Oprah revealed how she helped Meghan and Harry re-home ducklings.
The star went on to share an anecdote of how she helped the couple deal with a surprising backyard "problem."
Oprah lives close to the pair in California and she recalled rushing to their aid over the Easter weekend when they discovered ducklings in their back yard but had nowhere suitable to settle them.
"I get a call from Harry, Prince Harry, on Easter Saturday, and he says, 'Sorry to bother you, O, but we have a duck problem here,'" she said, imitating a British accent.
"'A duck had come into their yard and laid their eggs and had these chicks.'"
"And he said, 'Our pond is a stream, we don’t have a pond, so can we bring the ducks over to your pond?'"
Oprah To The Rescue
The chat show queen told the royals they could transfer the ducklings to her pond.
Oprah agreed but asked Harry to wait because her best friend Gayle King's grandchildren were coming to visit and would like to see the spectacle, but Harry — who shares Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, with Meghan — insisted he needed to move the creatures immediately.
She continued: "I said, 'Wait until I can get the kids to come down to the pond so they can see you put the ducks in the pond.' And he goes, 'No, we're coming right away, we're coming over!'"
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Oprah says the video she has of Meghan and Harry chasing ducks is 'the funniest thing I've ever seen.'
But the cute scene turned to chaos when the "mama duck" fled and the trio had to chase her, providing the "funniest thing" Oprah had ever seen.
She said: "As he opens the door, the mama duck flies out. And he's got all the baby ducks in a box.
"We're chasing the mama duck who is in the front yard and has flown to the other side. We've got her ducks. Harry’s running after, Meghan gets out, she’s running after, chasing the mom and trying to get her to come back to her ducks.
"And for like half an hour, we're running around with the ducks in a box. We have video. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen."
