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The new year started off promising for Meghan Markle. The duchess returned to Instagram after a five-year hiatus and was promoting her new show set to debut on Netflix. But then it all went to “s***” after a disastrous “photo op” amid the California wildfire devastation, her show being shelved until March, and a damning report by Vanity Fair about how she continuously mistreats people who work for her.

The former Suits star has been combating bullying allegations since 2018 when she was dubbed “Duchess Difficult” by some who worked for her and Prince Harry at the Palace. Meghan denied those claims calling them an attempt to smear her name. But members of the “Sussex Survivors Club” didn’t stay quiet and in 2024, gave The Hollywood Reporter their accounts of what it’s like to work with the duchess labeling her a “dictator in high heels” and a “demon boss.”

Now, the Vanity Fair story is making the rounds and has Meghan’s ex-staffers feeling “vindicated.”

Meghan’s U.K. staffer says ‘everything is going to s***’ now for the duchess

Meghan Markle visits the Hubb Community Kitchen in London
Meghan Markle visits the Hubb Community Kitchen in London | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

For its February 2025 cover storyVanity Fair spoke with dozens of the Duchess of Sussex’s former employees who alleged that working with her was “really, really, really awful. Very painful. Because she’s constantly playing checkers–I’m not even going to say chess–but she’s just very aware of where everybody is on her board. And when you are not in, you are to be thrown to the wolves at any given moment.”

Another former colleague, reportedly part of Meghan’s team when she did her Archetypes Spotify podcast, revealed they had to take a “leave of absence after working on three episodes.”

Several others claimed that they too had to take “breaks from work to escape scrutiny,” leave their job altogether, or undergo “long-term therapy” after having the duchess as a boss.

Express noted that Meghan’s old U.K. staffers are chiming in now and believe that “everything is going to s***” for the Sussexes following the latest reports regarding Meghan’s alleged behavior towards staff.

Former staffers say they feel ‘vindicated’ following Vanity Fair story

In response to the Vanity Fair feature, one former employee told the Daily Beast: “I am surprised that people spoke out, but I am not surprised by the content of their allegations. It seems like nothing has changed. There is not really much more to say.”

Another said: “I feel desperately sorry for the people affected because I have been there, but I also feel vindicated” before adding that people from Meghan’s camp trying to counter the claims saying she’s the “’world’s greatest boss’ should be ashamed of themselves.”

And another offered advice for anyone thinking about working with Prince Harry’s wife saying: “It’s obviously very tempting to work for her when you are being wooed and love-bombed, but people should be in no doubt; she is a nightmare. I would think the atmosphere will be particularly hellish now everything is going to s***. She doesn’t do disappointment well.”