George Clooney defends ‘kind and smart’ friend Meghan Markle

Much-loved actor George Clooney has defended friend Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex once again, labelling her a “kind and smart” young woman during a recent television interview.

The 57-year-old appeared on TV program Good Morning Britain this week where he was asked about his friendship with Prince Harry’s wife and how she is dealing with the media attention.

Clooney, who attended the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding last year with wife Amal, said while talk around the new member of the royal family is sometimes a “little unfair”, Meghan is dealing with the pressure well.

“I’ve seen when the press can turn on you for sort of ridiculous reasons and almost nothing and it seemed to be a little unjust since she hadn’t done anything except just happen to live her life,” he told hosts on Friday.

“She’s not a complainer, she takes everything in her stride. She was an actress long before this, so she’s been in the public spotlight for a long time, she’s a grown up and knows how to handle it.”

The Ocean’s Eleven star went on to praise the duchess and her loving relationship with her husband.

“She’s a really kind and smart and intelligent young woman and they are a really wonderful loving couple,” he explained.

This wasn’t the first time Clooney has shown his support of Meghan, speaking out earlier this year about the duchess and the public’s criticism of her.

The actor fiercely defended the 37-year-old in an extraordinary speech, comparing the media’s treatment of her to Princess Diana’s own struggles in the spotlight before her tragic death.

Last month Meghan gained a lot of media attention after her father Thomas Markle leaked a private letter from her to the Mail on Sunday, revealing her emotional attempts to mend their estrangement.

Read more: ‘We’ve seen how that ends’: Clooney says Meghan is being ‘vilified’ like Diana

Before that, she was the subject of rumours and unsubstantiated claims that she’s been locked in a feud with the Duchess of Cambridge, despite them both appearing more than amicable on public outings together. Those constant claims prompted five of Meghan’s friends, who refused to be named, to give interviews to US magazine People in an attempt to defend the duchess against negative reports.

That led to Clooney speaking out in support of Meghan during a panel at the Television Critics Association’s Winter Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, California.

“They’re just chasing Meghan Markle everywhere, she’s been pursued and vilified,” he told the audience, according to multiple reports. “I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to see that.”

The Mail reported he then added: “She’s a woman who is seven months pregnant and she is being pursued and vilified and chased in the same way that Diana was, and it’s history repeating itself… And we’ve seen how that ends. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to see that.”

What do you think of George Clooney’s comments?