“Imagine being attacked for everything you do”: Ellen DeGeneres hits back at Harry and Meghan’s critics
Ellen DeGeneres has joined Elton John and a number of other celebrities in voicing support for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex amid growing criticism of the royal couple’s use of private jets.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have come under fire after the British press reported on their trips and use of private planes. The couple was accused of being hypocritical for going on luxury flights while proclaiming to support environmental causes.
DeGeneres defended the royal pair in a statement on her social media accounts.
The 61-year-old TV host wrote that she “met Prince Harry and Meghan in England to talk about their work on wildlife conservation”.
She wrote, “They were the most down-to-earth, compassionate people. Imagine being attacked for everything you do, when all you're trying to do is make the world better.”
DeGeneres’s comment came after singer Sir Elton John slammed the “distorted and malicious account” of the Duke and Duchess’ trips.
John said he provided a 12-seater Cessna plane to allow the couple to travel to his home in Nice, France.
“After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, [husband] David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquillity of our home,” he wrote in a series of Twitter posts.
“To maintain a high level of much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight.
“To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™.”
John said he felt obliged to provide a private travel option for the royal couple due to the scrutiny that the royal family faces. “Prince Harry’s Mother, Diana Princess Of Wales was one of my dearest friends. I feel a profound sense of obligation to protect Harry and his family from the unnecessary press intrusion that contributed to Diana’s untimely death.”
Singer Pink and polo player Nacho Figueras have also come to the Sussexes’ defense.
The couple’s close friend and @Sentebale ambassador @nachofigueras has also spoken out: “The press focuses on attacking them and trying to find problems where there are not. I will defend them and what they do and who they are for as long as I live.” pic.twitter.com/qxfQuP4xEa
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) August 19, 2019
“The way people treat her is the most public form of bullying I have seen in a while. It’s out of control. Let’s all be a bit kinder, huh?” Pink wrote in a Twitter post on Tuesday.
Figueras, a friend of the couple and an ambassador for Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale, wrote on his social media accounts: “The press focuses on attacking them and trying to find problems where there are not. I will defend them and what they do and who they are for as long as I live.”