Meghan Markle: Navigating Ethnicity in the Spotlight

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has always been conscious of her ethnicity, according to a former co-star from the hit TV legal drama Suits.

In a recent episode of the Toure show podcast, actor Malcolm Jamal Warner opened up about Meghan's attitude towards her heritage and how it influenced her artistic pursuits.

The discussion surrounding Meghan's lineage resurfaced this week when social media users discovered an online profile from 2013 that listed her as a Caucasian supermodel.

Some speculated that Meghan herself had written these details.

A tweet from December 10th, 2022, claiming that Meghan identified as a Caucasian supermodel, gained significant attention with hundreds of engagements.

Although the profile image was recently posted, it seems to have been circulating online for a few years.

Newsweek found the earliest example of this image in 2019 on Twitter.

By searching for similar images, the website was able to locate the profile of Markle, still listed as Caucasian.

Adding to the conversation, Malcolm Jamal Warner, who worked alongside Meghan on Suits, shared his perspective on her approach to ethnicity.

During the podcast, host Toure asked Warner about his experience working with Meghan.

Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, revealed that while they didn't have many scenes together, he had seen her on the set of Deal or No Deal.

Warner's best friend, a stage manager, had more interaction with Meghan during her time on the game show.

Meghan's involvement with Deal or No Deal began in 2006 when she joined as a briefcase model.

Reflecting on her experience, Meghan has expressed conflicting feelings.

On one hand, she appreciated having a job while auditioning for more significant acting roles.

On the other hand, she acknowledged that the focus on appearance in the modeling industry helped her realize her true passions.

Toure further inquired about Meghan's racial identity, asking Warner if he knew she was black.

Warner confirmed that he did, emphasizing that Meghan herself was aware of her heritage.

In fact, instead of responding with a simple “I know,” Meghan playfully replied with “she knows.”

In a Netflix docuseries titled Harry and Meghan, Meghan opened up about her experience growing up as a biracial woman in the United States.

She explained that while she was aware of being a minority, she wasn't immediately treated as one.

However, upon moving to the UK, her race became a prominent issue.

“Before that, people didn't treat me like a woman of color,” she shared.

When Meghan met Prince Harry on a blind date in London in 2016, she had already been playing the role of paralegal Rachel Zane on Suits for five years.

As her relationship with the prince grew more serious, she eventually left the show after seven seasons.

Meghan Markle's journey in the spotlight has been intertwined with discussions about her ethnicity.

From her early days as a briefcase model to her current role as a member of the British royal family, Meghan has navigated the complexities of identity with grace and resilience.