Claims that Meghan Markle "bullied" royal staff before stepping down from her royal duties (opens in new tab) are again being called into question by a new epilogue (opens in new tab) to her unauthorized Sussex biography, Finding Freedom.

In March 2021, The Times (opens in new tab) published allegations that Markle "bullied" several staff members, including an email written by former Sussex public relations secretary Jason Knauf in 2018.

That email, republished by E! (opens in new tab), stated, "The treatment of [name redacted] is completely unacceptable. The Duchess seems to be constantly trying to keep someone under her watch. She is bullying [redacted] and trying to undermine her credibility. We are receiving report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behavior toward [redacted]." The Times also claimed that "Prince Harry pleaded with Knauf not to pursue the matter.

However, a new chapter published by "Entertainment Tonight" (opens in new tab), written by royal experts Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, reveals information that could potentially overturn the entire story. It says, "Sources confirm that at the time we discovered Jason's (Knauf) email, two of the individuals mentioned in the email had asked HR to rescind any allegations they had made about their experience with Princess Meghan. Scobie and Duran claim that Prince Harry also did not tell Knauf about the accusations.

After the Times article was published, Buckingham Palace announced it would investigate the bullying claims (opens in new tab). The Palace said, "The Royal Family has had a policy on dignity in the workplace for a number of years and does not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace, and we are committed to ensuring that all employees are treated with respect and dignity.

The Sussexes previously (open in new tab) branded the accusations a "calculated smear campaign based on misleading and damaging misinformation" and a "defamatory portrayal of the Duchess of Sussex."

In "Finding Freedom" (via Entertainment Tonight), Janina Gavankar, a friend of Markle's, said, "I've known Meghan for 17 years and have seen how she treats the people around her and the people she works with, I can tell you she is not a bully."