A brief clip of Meghan Markle shooting a "death stare" at an aide during a visit to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital has gone viral and prompted several former Sussex staffers to say the moment revived painful memories of working for the couple.

Tom Sykes, host of "The Royalist" podcast, described how one former employee reacted to the video. The former employee said, "it gives me PTSD" — their reaction after seeing the clip, Sykes said on his April 21 program.

Sykes said the look occurred when Markle, 44, noticed her chief of staff, Sarah Fosmo, tap Prince Harry, 41, on the back to alert him to fans gathered on upper levels. The clip, which Sykes said was captured from a forward angle, shows Markle delivering what he called a "mega death stare" after the tap, according to Radar Online.

Sykes added that Markle's icy glare "revived memories" for multiple former employees, bringing back what they described as traumatic experiences working under her. One former staffer told him, "It's classic Meghan, literally a workplace psychopath, smiling sweetly in public while shooting daggers when she thinks no one's watching," and added, "She treats anyone beneath her as completely disposable."

Sykes noted that Fosmo had been on the Sussex staff since December 2024 and that her 16-month tenure made her one of the longest-serving current employees. He said Fosmo is a "tough cookie" with credentials from the Gates Foundation, where she was "a widely respected senior figure," but questioned how long she would continue in the role.

Sykes said, "I do wonder whether she would be willing to put up with such treatment for much longer." He also quipped, "But of course, these days, that makes her one of their longest serving employees, AOL reported"

The viral footage has revived earlier allegations and media coverage about Markle's behavior while she was a working royal. Sykes said representatives for the Sussexes told him the clip was "designed to be manipulative and to perpetuate a false narrative" that Markle is difficult to work with.

A source quoted by Sykes suggested the incident may have been triggered by Markle's belief in strict royal protocol about physical contact. The source said, "Well, one source told me that Meghan's visual scolding of Cosmo was very likely down to her belief that nobody should touch either of them," and added that royals were seen as "a class apart."

Sykes relayed the source's remark that "Meghan is desperate to be seen as royal" and that the aide "undermined the narrative by treating Harry like a normal person. And you can see she gets the look."

The episode echoes past reporting, including a Buckingham Palace bullying inquiry conducted while Markle was a working royal, and public accusations from some former senior staffers that the Sussexes have high turnover.

Sykes said one former senior staffer told The Hollywood Reporter that "Everyone is terrified of Meghan" and that Team Sussex had lost more than 18 employees.

Tags
Meghan Markle, Viral Video