MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Meghan Markle lodged complaint against Piers Morgan after former 'GMB' host said he didn't 'believe her': Report

Morgan's departure comes in the wake of several distasteful comments he made about Meghan on TV

A new report suggests that a formal complaint was lodged with ITV on behalf of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, against British broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality Piers Morgan after his Monday morning broadcast on ‘Good Morning Britain’. 

News of Morgan’s departure from ‘Good Morning Britain’ has caused controversy. His departure comes in the wake of several distasteful comments he made about Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on TV after her tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. Morgan's comments reportedly triggered more than 41,000 complaints to Britain's media regulator, Ofcom, which announced an investigation under its “harm and offence” rules.

READ MORE

Why did Piers Morgan and Meghan Markle fall out? Ex 'GMB' host's friendship with Duchess of Sussex swiftly soured

Megyn Kelly calls Piers Morgan 'fearless' after Meghan Markle row, Sharon Osbourne says he 'spoke his truth'

On Monday’s edition of ‘Good Morning Britain’, Morgan said he did not believe Markle’s statement about mental health, which she made during her and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, which was broadcast in the US on March 7.

"I just didn't want to be alive anymore. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought. And I remember how [Harry] just cradled me,” said Meghan in the interview that aired on CBS on Sunday night, adding that she said she went to senior people in the institution to ask for help. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe a word she says, Meghan Markle,” Morgan said. “I wouldn’t believe her if she read me a weather report. The fact that she has fired up this onslaught against our royal family, I think, is contemptible.”

Morgan quit the show as co-host of ITV’s breakfast show, Alex Beresford made critical remarks against him on air on March 9. Morgan stormed off mid-argument after Beresford claimed that Meghan was entitled to cut him off — they were once reportedly close friends. ITV released a statement saying: “Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain. ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add.”

During the program on March 9, Morgan said: “When we talked about this yesterday, I said as an all-encompassing thing I don’t believe what Meghan Markle is saying generally in this interview, and I still have serious concerns about the veracity of a lot of what she said. But let me just state on the record my position about mental illness and on suicide. These are clearly extremely serious things that should be taken extremely seriously, and if someone is feeling that way they should get the treatment and help they need every time.”

ITV’s chief executive, Dame Carolyn McCall, said that ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, Kevin Lygo, had been in discussion with Morgan in recent days regarding his coverage of the Harry and Meghan interview. She said ‘Good Morning Britain’ was a balanced show, adding: “ITV has many voices and we try and represent many voices every day. It’s not about one opinion.”

On March 10, Morgan took to Twitter and had shared a quote from Winston Churchill about free speech. He wrote, “On Monday, I said I didn’t believe Meghan Markle in her Oprah interview. I’ve had time to reflect on this opinion, and I still don’t. If you did, OK. Freedom of speech is a hill I’m happy to die on. Thanks for all the love, and hate. I’m off to spend more time with my opinions.”

Hours after his resignation became public, Morgan told reporters outside his London home, "I think it's fair to say, although the woke crowd will think that they've canceled me, I think they will be rather disappointed when I re-emerge. I would call it a temporary hibernation,” adding that he was "always in talks with people".

Following Morgan’s departure from ‘Good Morning Britain’, several people have spoken out in his support, including CNN anchor Jake Tapper, former Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly, and British-American television personality, entertainment manager, producer, and author Sharon Osbourne, the spouse of Ozzy Osbourne.