Meghan Markle Says She was Told She Couldn’t Model in Skincare Ads

Meghan Markle is opening up about the beauty industry’s harsh standards—and how her freckles once cost her job opportunities.

In the latest episode of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, released Tuesday, April 29, the Duchess of Sussex got candid with IT Cosmetics founder Jamie Kern Lima about how tough it was to break into the modeling and acting world when she was starting out.

Back before she was a royal, Meghan was just another struggling actress trying to book commercials—but apparently, her natural features were considered a dealbreaker.

“I remember I couldn’t even be submitted for beauty or skincare ads because I had freckles,” Meghan, 43, recalled. “They’re like, ‘No, no, no. It’s just never gonna work—freckles aren’t a sign of beauty.’”

That wasn’t the only hurdle. Meghan also said she was repeatedly typecast because of her race. “You were either the Black girl or the White girl or the Latina girl,” she explained. “Everything was typecast, and I didn’t fit into one box.”

Even though she was getting in the room, she says she was hearing “no” even more often.

Eventually, Meghan did land roles, including her breakout as paralegal Rachel Zane on Suits. But the early rejections stuck with her—and they’re part of why she’s now vocal about challenging outdated beauty standards.

During the same week, Meghan also appeared on The Jamie Kern Lima Show, her first-ever podcast interview outside her own. Dressed down in sweats and completely makeup-free, Meghan got emotional while talking about her kids, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

At one point, she wiped away tears mid-conversation. “I wasn’t expecting that one!” she said with a laugh. “They’re just great—it’s so great. This is why it’s nice not to have makeup on.”

From being told she wasn’t beautiful enough to becoming one of the most famous women in the world, Meghan’s journey proves just how much things can change—and why she’s determined to help rewrite the rules.

Want more celebrity confessions and behind-the-scenes stories? Meghan’s new podcast drops every Tuesday.