Chris Rock mocks Meghan Markle's racism claims in $40M Netflix special

Chris Rock called out Meghan Markle's allegations of racism against the royal family during his live Netflix special "Selective Outrage" at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, California on Saturday.

The comedian referred to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, particularly on the concerns raised over their son Archie's skin colour by a senior royal family member. He said the former "Suits" star "acted all dumb like she didn't know nothing" when she complained about the royals being racist.

He said as quoted by ET, "You didn't Google those motherf***ers? What the f**k is she talking about, she didn't know? It's the royal family, they're the original racists."

Rock added of the royals, "They invented colonialism. They're the OGs of racism. They're the Sugarhill Gang of racism. Like, 'a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie to the hip hip hop-a don't stop -- the racism.'"

The comedian joked that it was like "marrying into the Budweiser family" and saying, "they drink a lot!" He said what the duchess went through with the British Royal Family was "not racism" but "just some in-law s---. Sometimes it's just some in-law s---. Because she's complaining like, what the f--- is she talking about? 'Oprah they're so racist, they wanted to know how brown the baby was going to be.'"

Rock noted "that's not racist," because "even Black people want to know how brown the baby is going to be." The comedian also quipped that he understood Meghan Markle's "dilemma" as a "Black girl trying to be accepted by her white in-laws" saying, "Oh, it's hard. It's so hard, it's very hard -- but it ain't as hard as a white girl trying to be accepted by her Black in-laws. Now, that sh*t is really hard."

The segment about Meghan Markle came after the 58-year-old claimed that "everyone is trying to be the victim, including people who know g*damn well they're not victims." He specifically mentioned the Duchess of Sussex and called her a seemingly "nice lady, just complaining" saying, "Like, didn't she hit the light-skinned lottery and she's still going off complaining?"

According to the Los Angeles Times, Netflix paid Rock $40 million for "Selective Outrage," which is his second stand-up special with the streamer after 2018's special "Chris Rock: Tamborine" which was recorded live in 2017.

He is said to be "riding high" from the success of his show and "isn't worried" about the backlash with a source telling People, "He said what he needed to say and doesn't give a s--- about the reaction either way. He isn't worried."

But royal author Christopher Andersen thinks Rock's mockery of Meghan Markle will come as a "complete and shocking surprise to her." He told Fox News Digital, "I revealed in my [previous] book 'Brothers and Wives' that... innocent musings about what Harry and Meghan's children might look like led to unfair charges of racism within the royal family. It was vindicating to hear Chris Rock skewer the Sussexes on this issue."

The biographer defended the Duchess of Sussex saying that she "knew what she was getting into when she married Harry – she had to have known – and the press has pointed this out for months."

"But for Meghan to hear the iconic, supercool Chris Rock say it – well, it has to be a real punch in the gut. At the same time, the royal family can hardly be thrilled that Rock lambasted them as imperialists and the founders of modern racism." Andersen said he was surprised that Rock "singled out" Meghan Markle and not Prince Harry and "kept hammering away at her."

Meanwhile. Prince Harry has claimed that Meghan never accused his family of being racist. In a statement that bewildered journalist Tom Bradby during their one-on-one interview, Harry claimed that it was the British press who called his family members racist and not his wife.