The Duchess of Sussex has been candid about her experiences with online bullying through the years

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 10: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks onstage at The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit: Mental Wellness in the Digital Age during Project Healthy Minds' World Mental Health Day Festival 2023 at Hudson Yards on October 10, 2023 in New York City.

Meghan Markle in 2023. Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty

Meghan Markle spoke with young girls about an important issue ahead of International Day of the Girl.

Larissa May, founder of #HalfTheStory, a nonprofit focused on improving young people’s relationship with technology, told Vanity Fair about the personal conversations that Meghan, 43, had with a group of teens while visiting the nonprofit Girls Inc. in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Oct. 2.

“We did an activity where we talked through a bunch of scenarios, and Meghan talked about being one of the most bullied people in the world,” May recalled.

“We had girls wave these little emoji signs and talk about how each one of these scenarios would have impacted them emotionally,” she added.

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 02: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex visits Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara on October 02, 2024 in Santa Barbara, California. Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex visited Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara which coincided with the announcement of contributions from The Archewell Foundation, Pivotal Ventures, and the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation to support a partnership between Girls Inc. and #HalfTheStory on International Day of the Girl. (

Meghan Markle visits Girls Inc. on Oct. 2, 2024.Eric Charbonneau/The Archewell Foundation via Getty

#HalfTheStory and Girls Inc., whose CEO is Dr. Stephanie J. Hull, joined forces for a partnership funded by the Duchess of Sussex’s Archwell Foundation, along with Melinda French Gates’ company Pivotal Ventures and the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation. The partnership was announced on Friday, Oct. 11, which is International Day of the Girl.

Together, the three organizations created a program called Social Media U, an educational initiative that will “equip girls with the essential tools to thrive in the digital age while fostering healthier, more balanced relationships with technology,” according to a statement from The Archewell Foundation.

Social Media U is devoted to improving digital wellness for girls in underserved communities and diminishing the harms of teenagers as their online and social media habits develop.

The Social Media U curriculum was created with assistance from a teen advisory board to ensure it relates to its young audience. Middle school-aged kids had an opportunity to test the agenda with the help of Meghan, May also told Vanity Fair.

“We really wanted to make sure that the teens at #HalfTheStory were able to give their input on the type of experience that we would create,” she explained. “Ultimately, we thought the best way to do that was to create a space of vulnerability.”

“With Stephanie and Meghan, we talked about what it really means to grow up in this digital age,” May added.

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 02: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Larissa May, Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex and Dr. Stephanie J. Hull seen at Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara on October 02, 2024 in Santa Barbara, California. Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex visited Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara which coincided with the announcement of contributions from The Archewell Foundation, Pivotal Ventures, and the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation to support a partnership between Girls Inc. and #HalfTheStory on International Day of the Girl.

From left: Larissa May, Meghan Markle and Dr. Stephanie J. Hull pose at Girls Inc. on Oct. 2, 2024.Eric Charbonneau/The Archewell Foundation via Getty

Meghan has been candid about her personal experiences with online bullying.

“When you’ve been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey — certainly part of mine — is being able to be really open about it,” she said in August during an interview with Jane Pauley on CBS Sunday Morning.

“I really scraped the surface on my experience, but I do think that I would never want someone else to feel that way and I would never want someone else to be making those sort of plans and I would never want someone else to not be believed,” she continued.