FORMER employees have tonight blasted Meghan Markle claiming she treated staff like “s***”, screamed down the phone and chewed people up.
An ex-courtier, who worked for the Duchess of Sussex, 43, and Prince Harry, alleged that during their time with her “there definitely were bad, very bad, even psycho moments.”
The unnamed source told The Sunday Times: “I witnessed people being chewed up in person and over the phone and made to feel like s***.
“It was an incredibly fraught time and I’m inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. She has said herself she was suicidal at times.”
Another individual, who worked with Meghan in the run-up to her wedding, said she was a “classic narcissist”.
They added: “She is lovely when it is all going her way but a demon when the worm turns.”
It comes after a recent story in The Hollywood Reporter described Meghan’s management style as like a “dictator in high heels” who reduced “grown men to tears”.
In an extraordinary move to undermine the story this week, five current and former employees of Meghan went on the record to defend her saying she is the “best boss ever”.
Us Weekly, a magazine known to be friendly to the royal couple, went in to bat for them with an article headlined “What It’s Really Like To Work For Meghan Markle: Staffers Reveal Truth Behind Rumours”.
The article quoted the former employees stating how, in fact, Meghan was a caring and considerate boss.
It included claims she gives staff bundles of freshly cut flowers, home-produced eggs and makes her team “feel like seeds being watered”.
The article was widely dismissed as a puff piece with speculation it was potentially orchestrated by Meghan’s PR team.
Meghan and Harry, 40, are understood to be furious about The Hollywood Reporter’s claims.
They are said to be desperate to stem the tide of negative publicity they are facing on the other side of the Atlantic.
In public the former Suits actress presents as happy and thoughtful.
But The Hollywood Reporter’s claims that she “barks” out orders and sends angry emails at 5am eats away at that image.
An insider told The Sun: “The Sussexes were left reeling by The Hollywood Reporter’s story.
“It appears that the Us Weekly story was sanctioned by the couple as even Archewell’s current global head of communications, Ashley Hansen, was quoted by name.”
A string of aides left Archewell including Chief of Staff Josh Kettler who stepped down after just three months.
The Sun has approached the Sussexes for comment.
Meg is ‘dictator in heels who terrifies everyone’
BY Matt Wilkinson
A STAFFER working “high up” for the Sussexes was the source behind the shock claim that “everyone is terrified” of Meghan, it has emerged.
The allegations were made in The Hollywood Reporter that also said Meg is branded by staff as “Duchess Difficult” and a “dictator in high heels”.
It comes after a string of aides left Archewell including Chief of Staff Josh Kettler who stepped down after just three months.
Sources close to Meghan and Harry claim the comments reported by the Hollywood Reporter were “fabricated”.
But Maer Roshan, Co-Editor in Chief of the magazine, said: “Our reporter talked to I think a dozen people, most of them are people who work very closely with the couple in various capacities now and previously.
He added: “Our reporter talked to a very high up source who works for the couple who said: ‘Everyone is terrified of Meghan Markle’.”
The revelation that a source from within the Sussexes organisation and Archewell will stun Harry and Meghan.
An astonishing 18 members of staff have quit working for the couple – nine since they moved to California.
Many ex-palace staff coined the term ‘Sussex Survivors’ Club’ to describe themselves after they quit working for Harry and Meghan.
Some even, half-jokingly, believed they suffered a form of post-traumatic stress after working for the royal couple.
Sources close to the Sussexes insist the term “Duchess Difficult” has never been used to describe Meghan.
A source from Archewell, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “These quotes were fabricated by someone lacking knowledge of our company.
“The Duke and Duchess work from Montecito, and we’re based in Hollywood.
“They likely think we’re all in the same office and that this quote would fly, but the circumstances don’t even allow for it.
“If she’s ‘marching around’ and ‘barking orders’ no Archewell employee could factually claim that. It’s total nonsense.”
The publication also reported allegations that Meghan was “absolutely relentless” and that “she marches around like a dictator in high heels, fuming and barking orders”.
Meghan’s “noisy tantrums” and “angry 5am emails” are said to be what earned her the nickname.
Regarding emails, a source said: “Who hasn’t sent an email when they can’t sleep or are awake early?
“I’ve never once ever gotten an email from either of them at that hour and even if I did, The Duchess specifically notes in her email signature that everyone has a different working day and to not feel obligated to respond outside of normal business hours.
“These source quotes don’t make any sense.”
The latest shock claims come some six years after Buckingham Palace was forced to investigate Meghan for “bullying behaviour” towards to royal aides.
Meghan has always denied claims that she bullies staff.