Meghan Markle Claims She Didn't Grow Up This Way In A New Interview

When Meghan Markle's "Archetypes" podcast for Spotify debuted, it hit the top of the Spotify podcast charts around the world, per Los Angeles Times. Some say that Meghan's podcast has the hidden motive of being a part of a war against the royal family. It's slipped in the rankings over the weeks since, but it's still currently sitting firmly in the top 10 (via Spotify). 

Each of the episodes is about tackling the stigma behind certain ways that women get labeled, and it was put on pause for much of September after the queen died; her third episode with Mindy Kaling was released on September 6. But it's back and her most recent interview is called "Breaking down 'The Bimbo' with Paris Hilton and Iliza Shlesinger."

As Meghan, Duchess of Sussex spoke with Paris Hilton — a socialite who rocketed to worldwide fame in the early 2000s — they talked about how Hilton's brand was originally built on being a dumb blond. Meghan revealed to Variety that going into the interview with Hilton, she was nervous about talking with her.

The reason that Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex was nervous about speaking with Paris Hilton was that she had a mix of both "envy and judgment" towards Hilton based on how the socialite had been presented in the past (per Variety). Meghan said that those feelings tied into the fact that she "didn't grow up pretty," according to the outlet. She had instead self-identified as the "smart one."

The podcast conversation between Meghan and Hilton tied into the fact that it can seem like it's not possible to be both pretty and smart as a woman, and that Hilton was known as a bimbo, particularly because of how she acted on the reality show "The Simple Life." Hilton said that the producers wanted her friend Nicole Richie, who co-starred on the show, to be the "troublemaker," and that Paris was to be the "rich, dumb blonde."

Meghan wrapped up her podcast by admitting she had been "ashamed to admit" that she'd judged Paris and been envious of her since her own "self-confidence was wrapped up in being the smart one and not the pretty one."