Elton John is not here for the latest controversy surrounding Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
For context: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex just returned from a vacation at John's palatial estate in the South of France. They traveled to and from the quick jaunt via private jet, which some are branding as hypocritical due to the couple's environmentalism work. One publication even referred to Prince Harry and Markle's mode of transportation as "gas-guzzling."
But John is coming to the royals' defense. It turns out the pop icon both paid for Markle and Prince Harry's private jet and ensured it was carbon neutral—thus shutting down all the people who think they aren't practicing what they preach. (According to the cyber-gear initiative Go Green, making something "carbon neutral" means calculating how much a flight makes in greenhouse emissions and then donating that amount to a charity or project that's striving to reduce emissions.)
"I am deeply distressed by today’s distorted and malicious account in the press surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s private stay at my home in Nice last week," John wrote on Twitter. "Prince Harry’s mother, Diana Princess of Wales, was one of my dearest friends. I feel a profound sense of obligation to protect Harry and his family from the unnecessary press intrusion that contributed to Diana’s untimely death. After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquility of our home. To maintain a high level of much needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight."
John continued, "To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint™. I highly respect and applaud both Harry and Meghan’s commitment to charity and I’m calling on the press to cease these relentless and untrue assassinations on their character that are spuriously crafted on an almost daily basis."
See John's tweets for yourself, below:
The last public interaction Elton John had with Markle and Prince Harry was at the London premiere of The Lion King in July, where they were photographed mingling.
John also performed at Markle and Prince Harry's royal wedding reception in May 2018. He reportedly took the stage after Prince Harry cheekily asked his room of guests, "Does anyone here know how to play the piano?”
After John publicly defended the Sussexes, other celebrities echoed his sentiments. Singer Pink, who has dealt with her share of online mom shaming, stood up for Markle on Twitter. "I’m happy to see people coming to the defense of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex," she tweeted. "The way people treat her is the most public form of bullying I have seen in a while. It’s out of control. Let’s all be a bit kinder, huh? Let’s show our children that it’s cool to be kind."
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Ellen DeGeneres also seems to be a fan of the royals. She revealed in an Instagram post that she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, have met privately with Harry and Markle to discuss wildlife conservation. "Portia and I met Prince Harry and Meghan in England to talk about their work on wildlife conservation," she wrote. "They were the most down-to-earth, compassionate people. Imagine being attacked for everything you do, when all you’re trying to do is make the world better."
The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil took to Twitter to defend the couple and called out what she believes is racist behavior aimed at the duchess. "Ugh. Dear England and English press, just say you hate her because she’s black, and him for marrying a black woman and be done with it God dammit," she wrote. "Your bullying is so embarrassing and obvious. You’ve all lost your marbles. It’s 2019. Grow up."
"I will never forget reading an English shit rag, writing the words, 'Meghan’s exotic DNA shall certainly THICKEN the royal blue blood line...' (bangs head against table and throws up in own mouth.)," she continued, before adding the following:
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Markle's best friend Jessica Mulroney, who usually stays quiet when it comes to the royals, posted Jamil's tweet on her own Instagram Stories, followed by a message on her feed: "When someone faces unfair criticism, you call it out. When that person is your friend and your family, you call those critics what they truly are. Shame on you, racist bullies.” Though she doesn't mention Markle by name in the post, the caption makes it pretty clear who she's talking about. "3 years of undeserved hate and abuse," Mulroney wrote. "It’s enough."
