During an episode of Netflix docu-series Harry & Meghan, I was struck by one scene in particular where Meghan described how she feared for her life.

Meghan was visibly emotional as she tearfully opened up about the onslaught of death threats she’s faced for simply existing and how this, in turn, has made her fear for her life and those around her.

“You are making people want to kill me,” she said. “It’s not just a tabloid. It’s not just some story. You are making me scared.”

Despite her candidness, honesty and the trails of newspaper and magazine articles that prove just how much online abuse Meghan has had to face over the years, her words, like those of many women – and specifically women of colour – have been played down and criticised, further amplifying just how a collective disdain for the Sussexes has made some people blind to the risks they face – and that’s been further intensified by Jeremy Clarkson.

The former Top Gear host wrote a column for The Sun in which he discussed his hatred for Meghan in a way that is truly undeniable.

Declaring that he “hates her”, Clarkson wrote that at night, he dreamed of the day when she is “made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”.

This outlandish comment was followed by claims that “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way” while also claiming that Meghan “has her arm so far up his [Harry’s] bottom, she can use her fingers to alter his facial expressions”.

As I read Clarkson’s op-ed, one thing came to mind: maybe now, people who are in denial of the actual hatred and danger Meghan faces can see bold and loudly just how accurate that is.

In a month that has seen us read the disturbing details behind the murder of Zara Aleena, and the launch of the Killed Women campaign to get justice for women and girls who’ve been victims of male-based violence, Clarkson’s clear romanticism of seeing Meghan publicly shamed and harmed is shocking.

It’s a reflection of the walking contradiction often exhibited by this country, and the media in particular, where we can talk about protecting women and girls in one breath while an article publicly bullying, shaming and inciting potential harm to a woman can be shared in the next – and it’s time that we truly addressed just how flippant and harmful this is.

Incel culture thrives on words and rhetorics that are shared online and are allowed to thrive until they result in real harm – and even if Clarkson’s comments are hyperbolic, those words can still have an impact and further fuel the hatred Meghan faces and thus the danger too.

Platforming commentary like this can go way beyond words in a newspaper or hits on a website, as Meghan stated in her docu-series. They can have real-life repercussions and can further incite hatred from those who dislike Meghan, and equally, they can impact the wellbeing of a woman who has publicly discussed her fears of death threats and the way her mental health has been negatively affected as a result – and quite frankly, she doesn’t deserve it.

This pariah narrative, which has followed Meghan since her relationship with Prince Harry was made public in 2016, is one that needs to come to an end.

She isn’t a person who has caused actual damage to someone. She’s a person who is deciding to live her truth and not play to the social rules of keeping quiet. That alone is what gets these people’s backs up – that not only does this biracial woman dare to exist in a space she ‘shouldn’t be in’, but she made an active choice to leave and to leave it with her head held high and her family intact.

While the scrutiny levied against Meghan is hardly a surprise, the fact that this piece describes a desire to see harm done to her is a scary reminder of the times we’re in and the misogynoir she has to endure.

Whether you’re a fan of Meghan or not, this type of behaviour should not be tolerated – and thankfully, others have been taking a stand against this column and calling out Clarkson’s words.

In an Instagram post, Clarkson’s daughter, the podcast host Emily Clarkson, said: “I want to make it very clear that I stand against everything my dad said about Meghan Markle and I remain standing in support of those who are targeted with online hatred.”

Carol Vorderman also called out the host, tweeting: “NO, Jeremy Clarkson. Not on any level, in any circumstance, is it OK to write this stuff about any woman and absolutely NO to ‘everyone who’s my age thinks the same’.”

Seeing notable figures publicly defend Meghan is encouraging given the insults and hatred she’s had to face publicly over the years.

But Clarkson’s words are only a reflection of what some genuinely believe – in particular, the weird obsession some men have with visualising and seeing harm done to women just because they don’t particularly like them.

If you ever doubted Meghan’s fears and concerns and passed them off as her ‘acting for the camera’, let this be a reminder of the reality she faces just for sharing her experience – because there is nothing fake about that.

Image: Getty