Meghan Markle Conspiracy Theories Flood Social Media Platforms

The false theory suggests that Markle used a surrogate and that her children with Prince Harry are not biologically hers, or in extreme cases, that her children do not exist at all.

Recently, one of the women responsible for spreading this conspiracy theory had her Twitter account reinstated, sparking further discussions online.

Sadie Quinlan, a woman from Wales in her mid-60s, expressed gratitude to Twitter's CEO for restoring her account.

Quinlan, along with Markle's half-sister Samantha Markle, concocted lies and doctored images within a private chat group to promote the conspiracy.

Despite being banned from YouTube earlier this year for violating the platform's policies, Quinlan launched a new channel, accumulating nearly 3,000 subscribers within hours.

Her first video, which targeted Markle's mental health, generated around 1,000 comments.

Since the release of the documentary, racist and misogynistic attacks against Markle have intensified on various online platforms.

The ease with which Quinlan regained access to Twitter and YouTube highlights the ongoing struggle these social media platforms face in countering misinformation and hate speech.

The initial hate campaign against Markle originated in 2018 when Quinlan created a private group on the fringe social network MeWe.

Other prominent members of the group included Kiz Laird Connolly and Natasha Cannell, who, along with Quinlan, became the primary promoters of the anti-Meghan hate campaign.

Samantha Markle was also involved as a member of the group.

The main conspiracy propagated by the group claimed that Markle never experienced pregnancy and instead used a surrogate.

They suggested that Markle wore a prosthetic known as a “moon bump.”

Numerous tweets and YouTube videos analyzed Markle's pregnancy photos, falsely claiming that her baby bump disappeared at different stages.

The MeWe group served as a disinformation repository, with falsehoods and memes spreading from the group to Twitter and other social media platforms, according to misinformation tracking firm BotSentinel.

The release of the Netflix documentary, which includes images of Markle during her pregnancy and an ultrasound reading, has not silenced these conspiracies.

On the contrary, supporters of the conspiracy theory have used images from the documentary as supposed evidence of the fake pregnancy.

Christopher Bouzy, a researcher who has been tracking this anti-hate group for years and appeared in the Netflix documentary, stated that the conspiracy believers are impervious to rational arguments.

He compared them to followers of QAnon, emphasizing their susceptibility to believing baseless claims.

Bouzy also noted that many of the individuals involved in promoting the conspiracy monetized their channels, capitalizing on the movement's popularity.

The conspiracies were further amplified by tabloid writers and royal correspondents who engaged with Quinlan, Laird Connolly, and Cannell on Twitter, leading to supporters spamming positive comments about Markle.

As a result, numerous YouTube accounts emerged, churning out countless videos dedicated to spreading lies.

Those who believed in these claims began identifying themselves as “Meghan Truthers” or “Megxiteers,” referencing Meghan's exit from the royal family.

In the Netflix series, Markle and Harry acknowledged the widespread misinformation campaign surrounding their relationship, particularly targeting Markle.

They described misinformation as a global humanitarian crisis and highlighted the lack of consequences for those perpetuating chaos online.

Despite the years-long hate campaign against Markle, Laird Connolly and Cannell continue to operate their YouTube accounts, boasting 107,000 and 132,000 subscribers, respectively.

Over 90% of the content on both channels is dedicated to attacking Markle.

Laird Connolly monetizes her videos through advertisements and promotes her own merchandise, featuring phrases like “Megxit” and “Recollections May Vary.”

According to BotSentinel's estimation in January, Quinlan, Lair