George Clooney is not here for the intense scrutiny against Meghan Markle. The actor—who is friends with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and attended their wedding last May with his wife, Amal—defended the new royal at a panel while promoting his new Hulu show, Catch-22.
"I do want to say, they’re just chasing Meghan Markle everywhere, she’s been pursued and vilified," he told Australia's Who magazine, per People.
"She’s a woman who is seven months pregnant and she has been pursued and vilified and chased in the same way that Diana was and its history repeating itself," he added.
"We’ve seen how that ends," Clooney continued, referencing Princess Diana's tragic death in a car crash in 1997, which many, including Prince Harry, have blamed on the paparazzi. The actor also spoke out against paparazzi and tabloid media in an emotional speech days after the princess' death.
The Oscar winner also brought up the emotional private letter Meghan penned to her father, Thomas Markle, which has been leaked to the public.
"I can’t tell you how frustrating that is, just seeing them broadcast a letter from a daughter to a father, she’s getting a raw deal there and I think it’s irresponsible and I’m surprised by that," he told Who magazine.
Clooney also weighed in on whether he would be one of the godparents for Harry and Meghan's first child, who is due this spring. "Oh yes, I’ll be godfather of the royals apparently," he joked, but quickly clarified: "No!"
"I’m a father of twins, I have enough shit to deal with—literally!" he added. George and Amal Clooney welcomed twins Ella and Alexander in June 2017.
The Clooney's friendship with the Sussexes goes beyond being their wedding guests. Over the summer, the film star and high-profile lawyer reportedly hosted the royal couple at their home in Lake Como. Meghan and Harry have reportedly returned the favor by hosting the Clooneys at their Cotswolds country home, according to Emily Andrews, The Sun's royal correspondent.
George Clooney is the latest of Meghan's inner circle to speak out about how the media is treating the duchess. Last week, five of her friends spoke to People and denounced "the global bullying" the royal has experienced.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
