Meghan Markle’s close friend and makeup artist Daniel Martin has opened up about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to bare their souls in an emotional documentary interview, saying it has been a ‘relief’ for those who have seen the toll media scrutiny has had on them.
The New York-based beauty guru appeared on CBS This Morning on Thursday to talk about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s recent ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, which aired in the UK on Sunday and in the US on Wednesday.
‘To be honest, it’s been tough,’ Martin said of watching his friend of 10 years struggle. ‘I feel like watching this documentary, it’s been almost a relief seeing her at a point where she can be honest about what’s been happening.’
Weighing in: Meghan Markle’s makeup artist and friend Daniel Martin appeared on CBS This Morning on Thursday to discuss her ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey
Behind the scenes: The New York-based makeup artist said it has been a ‘relief’ to see Markle ‘be honest about what’s been happening’ in her emotional interview
Martin added that it has also been a difficult time for the royal couple’s family and friends, who were left feeling helpless.
‘I feel like all of us who have known, we just didn’t know what to do or how to help,” he explained. ‘It’s hopefully demystified a lot that’s been going on over there.’
CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King also has close ties to Markle. Not only did she cover her royal wedding to Prince Harry, but she also attended the Duchess’ New York City baby shower.
When King asked Martin if he would call Markle ‘a weak person,’ he replied, ‘No, not at all.’
‘I wouldn’t either,’ King agreed, adding: ‘We should also say Harry and Meghan seem to be very in this together. That they are both supporting each other.’
Candid conversation: Martin explained that it has been a struggle for the couple’s family and friends, who ‘didn’t know what to do or how to help’
Inner circle: Anchor Gayle King, who also has close ties to Markle, asked Martin if he would call Markle ‘a weak person.’ He replied: ‘No, not at all.’ She agreed, saying: ‘I wouldn’t either’
Martin later weighed in on how he thinks Markle is handling motherhood and her role as a royal.
‘I feel like she has a lot on her plate and I feel like she just wants to make sure her boys are safe,’ he said of Harry and their five-month-old son Archie. ‘I know her, she’s gonna totally take care of this. It’s just understanding the ways about it.’
The makeup artist, who did Markle’s makeup for her royal wedding, said he ‘definitely’ thinks it was helpful to her on an emotional level to publicly voice the pressures she has faced.
‘You can see it in her face when she reacts to [ITV host Tom Bradby] when he asks her that question,’ he said. ‘She takes a moment, she pauses, and then she goes into it, and you really see that in her eyes.’
Martin was referring to a particularly raw moment in the interview when the anchor asked the Duchess of Sussex how the pressure has affected her physical and mental health.
Thoughts: Martin said Markle ‘has a lot on her plate’ and just wants to make sure Prince Harry and their five-month-old son Archie are safe, but he’s confident she’ll ‘take care of this’
A-list friends: Just a few days before the interview, Martin posted on the red carpet with Jessica Alba while attending the InStyle Awards in Los Angeles
‘Any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging. And then when you have a newborn, you know. And especially as a woman, it’s a lot,’ she replied.
‘So you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed. It’s um…yeah. I guess, also thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m okay, but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.
Bradby then asked if it ‘would be fair’ to say that she’s ‘not really okay, as in it’s really been a struggle?’ to which she responded, ‘Yes.’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave a rare glimpse into their lives in the ITV documentary in which they discussed being bombarded with constant media attention and tabloid rumors.
‘I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a “stiff upper lip.” I really tried, but I think that what that does internally is probably really damaging,’ Markle said.
‘I never thought that this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair. And that’s the part that’s really hard to reconcile.’