“If Meghan Markle is so proud to be Black, why does she never wear her hair as a natural curly afro? Of course, every woman has the right to experiment with her look, but isn’t it odd that she never shows us her natural hair…is she ashamed of it?” The news account tweeted in part on April 27, 2023.

The publication speculated that Markle had rhinoplasty. They included photos from her youth that showed her natural curls and a screengrab from her TED Talk introduction for her friend Misan Harriman. The grainy screenshot, which was shared frequently this week by her detractors, shows her with an uber-straight main.

“Because she is only black when convenient,” one person speculated in response to the publication’s rhetorical questions. “Whatever she did, she looks worse, not better, and at least ten years older,” a Twitter user stated.

Another backed the statements, “Same……. and not to be too critical, but too many veneers and fillers give a mask/doll-like appearance.”

“She only likes her ‘black’ roots because it gives her an additional drum to bang; the racism drum. Other than that, not a lot,” a reader responded.

“Ladies with curly hair want it straight; ladies with straight hair want it curly. It’s an age-old issue, doesn’t make it out to be more than that,” read an empathetic message.

“This post is ridiculous! You all need to stop with the bullying of this woman! It’s her hair, her choice. There are a lot more important things going on in this world to focus on?!!” another tweeted.

A person who preferenced their tweet by saying that they generally don’t defend the “Suits” star wrote, “A lot of black women straighten their hair. They’re not trying to erase their Blackness; they just might like the way it looks.”

An English hairstylist Theonie Kakoulli told PEOPLE that Markle saw her “at least twice for keratin treatments” in the summer of 2016:

“It’s great for people with naturally curly hair like Meghan; it takes the frizz out and makes it more manageable — she said it made a real difference.”

When talking to Mariah Carey on “Archetypes with Meghan” in August 2022, Meghan Markle revealed her struggle with her natural hair. Her maternal grandmother, Jeanette Arnold, who often helped with her hair, would tell her, “‘Just hold onto the sink.’” She would grip both sides as her grandma roughly brushed her thick curly locks with a “whoosh.”

King Charles’ upcoming coronation next month puts anyone remotely related to the British monarchy in the spotlight more than usual. Markle will not be attending the ceremony with her husband Prince Harry.