As Meghan Markle steps into her prominent new role within the royal family, the tabloid headlines will continue to blare — but “Today” show anchor Megyn Kelly has some advice that may alleviate the pressure.
“Lately I’ve been asking myself this question given to me by my sister-in-law, and I think it solves 99 percent of life’s problems,” Kelly said as she spoke to AOL Entertainment from Windsor, where the “Today” co-hosts are stationed ahead of Saturday’s royal wedding. “‘Is this something I can completely ignore and go on living my beautiful life?’ And I think if Meghan asks herself that, after whatever pops up in terms of coverage of her, she’ll be able to let it slip away.”
In fact Kelly, no stranger to splashy tabloid headlines herself, has come to understand an unexpected truth about negative media coverage.
“What you realize, being in the public eye for awhile, is that many people work out their own issues in writing about someone who has become a public figure,” Kelly said. “And so their articles say much more about themselves than they do about you.”
“And I think it does take awhile to really learn that on a gut level. Meghan’s had this incredible, meteoric rise to fame over the past six months, and I’m sure right now it’s feeling heady for her, and maybe slightly overwhelming, but I would imagine over time this is going to get a little old,” she continued. “And I hope she can retreat into the privacy that is available to the royals … and just try to enjoy what’s left of the normalcy in her life.”
Markle should take comfort in knowing, Kelly said, that she has a supportive husband to help her through the ups and downs.
“Those two boys are their mother’s sons,” Kelly said of Princes Harry and William. “They say, if you want to know how a man will treat his wife, look at how he treats his mother. And of course these two men lost their mother at a young age, but they clearly had a very close relationship with her. My two boys have a very close relationship with me, and I think that bodes well for their future wives, because they learn love and respect and they also see how my husband treats me.”
“I think Meghan and Kate have got it made because they’ve got loving, kind, good-hearted men,” she said.
After the wedding, the royals may take a step back from the spotlight — but if Kelly could have any one of them on her show, she wouldn’t necessarily be looking to book a grown-up.
“Hm… Maybe I’d talk to little Prince George and ask if he’d be willing to have a playdate with Thatcher, my four-year-old,” Kelly said. “I’d love to have a playdate with Kate. Can you imagine his little hobby horse? It’s probably a real pony!”
On Saturday, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb co-anchor “TODAY at the Royal Wedding” on NBC and will be joined by Megyn Kelly and Kathie Lee Gifford beginning at 4:30am to 11am ET.
