Mariah Carey was a guest on Meghan Markle’s Archetypes podcast and the singer told the Duchess of Sussex that she has “diva moments”.
In Tuesday’s episode, Markle, 41, and Mariah Carey, 53, had a conversation about the word “diva” and how it has a negative connotation when describing women. At one point, Markle described how the term has become a significant part of Carey’s image.
Meghan said she does not personally “connect to” the “diva persona” but Mariah Carey interrupted and told her that she has diva moments.
Meghan was saying: “… I think that’s really important for people to remember that there might be this persona. And yes, the diva thing we can play into. I mean, it’s not something I connect to. But, it, for you it’s been a huge part of your…”
Mariah then interrupted, saying to Meghan: “You give us diva moments sometimes, Meghan.”
Meghan appeared flustered, asking, “I do? What kind of diva moments did I give you?”
“Don’t even act like – don’t like,” Carey responded.
“See that’s the thing, I associate it differently,” Markle later said
Carey then clarified that she meant Markle’s “visual[s]” and not her personality. She added that she “didn’t mean” anything by the comment and was “playing” with the former actress.
Mariah Carey said: “I know, but let’s pretend that you didn’t – weren’t so beautiful and didn’t have the whole thing and didn’t often have gorgeous ensembles. You wouldn’t get, maybe get as much diva stuff. I don’t care. I’m like, ‘When I can, I’m going to give you diva.'”
Later in the podcast, Markle reflected on how Carey’s statement initially made her “sweat”.
Meghan explained: “So though my fan-girling was tempered today, I um, I kind of think she could tell… But that aside, it was all going swimmingly, I mean really well. Until that moment happened, which I don’t know about you, but it stopped me in my tracks… when she called me a diva!
“You couldn’t see me, obviously, but I, I started to sweat a little bit. I started squirming in my chair in this quiet revolt, like, wait, wait, no, what? How? But? How could you? That’s not true, that’s not… Why would you say that? My mind genuinely was just spinning with what nonsense she must have read or clicked on to make her say that. I just kept thinking, in that moment, was my girl crush coming to a quick demise? Does she actually not see me?”
Markle said Carey quickly clarified what she meant, which then put her at ease.
Meghan Markle said: “She must have felt my nervous laughter, and you all would’ve heard it too. And she jumped right in to make sure I was crystal clear. When she said ‘diva,’ she was talking about the way that I dress, the posture, the clothing, the ‘fabulousness’ as she sees it. She meant diva as a compliment. But I heard it as a dig. I heard it as the word ‘diva,’ as I think of it.”
Meghan continued: “But, in that moment, as she explained to me, she meant it as chic, as aspirational. And how one very charged word can mean something different for each of us, it’s mind-blowing to me. And it actually made me realize that in these episodes, as I’ve opened the door for conversation surrounding the archetypes that try to hold us back, what I hadn’t considered was that for some, reclaiming the words is what they feel will propel us forward.”
