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The coordinated setup attack distraction by Megan Markle miserably failed and backfired. The recent story published in The Hollywood Reporter and picked up by other outlets like the New York Post alleging Megan was a bully to palace staff was clearly intended as a distraction from other negative royal family press. However, it has had the opposite effect and strengthened public support for Megan instead.
The story claimed Megan reduced staff members to tears during her time as a working royal in the UK. It said she "humiliated" employees and was nicknamed "Me-Gain" for her difficult behavior. Sources for these allegations were said to be former palace staffers, however none were named giving the claims very little credibility. The timing of the story's release was also very suspect, seeming intentionally planned to coincide with the Cambridges' recent royal train tour which received some criticism.
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However, the ploy backfired dramatically. Instead of people vilifying Megan over anonymous bullying accusations, the public overwhelmingly showed support for her. On social media, comments celebrating Megan's alleged actions were rife. Many praised her for standing up to the patriarchal structures of the monarchy and putting pushy male staff members in their place. Reducing men to tears was seen as empowering not humiliating. Comments called her a "queen" and "icon" for supposedly making grown men cry. It was pitched as a sign of a strong, powerful woman asserting her authority.
The story helped reinforce Megan's image as someone challenging outdated royal traditions. People who already saw her defiance of protocol as refreshing doubled down in their admiration. While Meghan and Harry detractors may have hoped the bullying claims would damage her popularity, the reaction showed just how wrong-footed they were. The coordinated attack to use Megan as a distraction for William and Kate's bad press not only didn't work but boosted her public profile instead. Ample skepticism remained about the validity of anonymous sourcing too.
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The blowback also revived discussion of prejudice Megan faced as a biracial American divorcée joining the royal family. Critics saw the bullying story as a racially motivated smear campaign. Meanwhile, supporters countered royal establishment attacks on Megan by embracing the image of her as a tough, independent woman of color progressing traditions. She resonated as a symbol of diversity the hidebound monarchy refuses represented. By going super viral but in a way boosting rather than bashing Megan the planned distraction spectacularly backfired on its orchestrators.
Word of the strong public defense of Megan even seemed to take her detractors by surprise. Journalists at The Hollywood Reporter and New York Post likely never expected their anonymously sourced "bombshell" to elicit such celebration of the Duchess. The goal was clearly to cause renewed controversy but they achieved the opposite - renewed admiration from a global audience increasingly embracing Megan as a feminist figure of change. No matter the smears the palace proxies spread, she maintains resonance as someone challenging musty traditions from within.
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The failure of this attack to generate the intended counter-narrative highlights how tactics used successfully before no longer work. In 2018-2019 anonymous leaks about "Megxit" and the rose hanry fair caused waves of negativity like stories of her feud with Kate. But public support for Megan has grown more solid as she forms her independent voice. She's now widely seen as someone brave following her heart rather than selfishly abandoning duties. Any strategic hit pieces meant to control her image instead make people cheer her defiance of tabloid manipulation.
With each failed takedown, Megan proves how her character resonates in a way the palace can't combat through old tricks. While the covert PR campaigns against her thrive on stoking division, Megan and Harry's popularity flourishes through their values-based work empowering communities. It's this substance over empty scandal-mongering which earns true grassroots support the cynical smears can't overcome. Moving forward the palace appeasing select media will find manipulating public opinion about the Sussexes an ever more difficult project as their model of compassionate leadership fosters warmth no string of attacks can weaken.
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In conclusion, this episode demonstrated once more how attempts to undermine Megan though calculated leaks and anonymous allegations have lost their effectiveness. While meant as a distraction this story blew up positively for her instead. The coordinated attack severely backfired by strengthening her image as a strong woman challenging traditions. Despite the palace's best efforts, current strategies relying on old manipulations will continue failing to overshadow the good work and authentic voice Megan shares with the world.
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