In a surprising turn of events, Meghan Markle has found herself at the center of controversy after a recent Reddit post accused her of faking her participation in both the Los Angeles Marathon and a 4K race in New York City.
This revelation has cast a shadow over her previous social media claims, prompting many to question the credibility of her past posts.
The Reddit user who unearthed this scandal delved into Markle’s old Instagram account and blog, uncovering what they believe to be two significant discrepancies.
The first alleged misrepresentation dates back to September 2012, when Nike generously gifted Markle some athletic apparel.
In a post that followed, she enthusiastically declared, “Let the training begin LA Marathon 2013,” which implied she had registered and was gearing up to run the marathon.
However, a search through official race records reveals no trace of her name, even under any known aliases.
While it’s not unheard of for participants to run under pseudonyms, it seems rather illogical for someone to announce their training publicly if they were to do so.
Fast forward seven months, and Markle is again accused of misleading her followers.
This time, it revolves around her alleged involvement in the New York Road Runners’ Run for the Parks, a 4K race aimed at benefiting Central Park.
This particular event took on added significance in 2013 as it also honored the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, with participants donning bibs that read “Run for Boston.”
Markle shared a photo with the caption, “New York, I love you so much morning run run for Boston Central Park,” suggesting she was part of this poignant occasion.
Yet, once again, her name does not appear in the race records.
Adding to the skepticism, the image she posted appears to be a cropped version of a photo taken by someone else, lacking the familiar sights of race day—no spectators, barricades, or fellow runners in sight.
These inconsistencies have led many to speculate about the authenticity of Markle’s claims regarding her participation in these events.
Following these revelations, one can’t help but wonder how Nike might respond.
The athletic brand, which provided Markle with gear in 2012, may now think twice before sending her any more freebies.
Brands like Nike prioritize authenticity and integrity, and being associated with misleading claims could tarnish their reputation.
It seems likely that Markle’s chances of receiving future gifts from the company have diminished significantly.
This isn’t the first time Markle has faced accusations of exploiting situations for personal gain.
The Redditor drawing attention to these latest claims also highlighted her controversial appearances at the Grenfell Tower fire site and the Uvalde tragedy.
During the Grenfell disaster, where a devastating fire left countless individuals displaced, Markle reportedly capitalized on the situation for her own publicity.
While local women were already hard at work creating a communal kitchen and publishing a cookbook to raise funds, Markle allegedly swooped in before her wedding, wrote a foreword, and issued press releases that suggested the cookbook was her initiative.
Similarly, after the tragic shooting at the Uvalde school, Markle’s timing raised eyebrows.
She reportedly arrived mere hours after the incident, cameras in tow, and released statements to various media outlets.
Critics argued that her visit seemed more focused on self-promotion than genuine empathy, especially as she arrived while politicians and other figures awaited police updates.