Duchess Meghan hopes sharing struggle with suicidal thoughts will 'save someone'

Duchess Meghan hopes that being open about her experiences with suicidal ideation could help "save" others.

During an interview with "CBS Sunday Morning" that aired this weekend, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, discussed her decision to share in 2021 that she once struggled with suicidal thoughts.

"I haven't 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," Meghan said, speaking alongside her husband, Prince Harry, 39.

"If me voicing what I have overcome will save someone, or encourage someone in their life to really, genuinely check in on them, and not assume that the appearance is good so everything's OK, then that's worth it," she added. "I'll take a hit for that."

During a high-profile, primetime interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan revealed that she had "very clear" suicidal thoughts after joining the royal family.

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"I was really ashamed to say it at the time, and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry especially, because I know how much loss he's suffered," she said. "But I knew that if I didn't say it, that I would do it. I just didn't want to be alive anymore."

At the time, Meghan alleged that she did not receive help from the royal family and was told she "couldn't" go to a hospital to receive treatment because it wouldn't "be good for the institution."

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That interview came after Harry and Meghan made the dramatic decision to step back as senior members of the royal family in 2020 and move to the United States. In the conversation with Winfrey, they leveled bombshell allegations of racism within the royal family, claiming that there were "concerns" in the palace about how dark their baby's skin would be. Harry also slammed the "bigoted" British tabloids for their coverage of Meghan and said racism against her was a "large part" of the reason they left the U.K.

In the CBS interview, Meghan, who is celebrating her 43rd birthday on Sunday, said she "wasn't expecting" to receive a question about her past suicidal thoughts, but added that "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."

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were speaking to CBS about The Parents' Network, a new Archewell Foundation initiative they have launched to support parents whose children have been harmed by social media and online bullying.

"Some are seeking ways to channel pain into purpose," the initiative's website says. "Some are simply trying to survive − while ensuring our kids do the same. All of us are seeking safe, supportive environments where we can talk openly about experiences often kept under lock and key, and forge meaningful relationships with others who understand."

Contributing: Maria Puente

If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or visiting 988lifeline.org