Meghan Markle accused of copying Spotify podcast idea from 'Archetypes' book

Meghan Markle announced the upcoming title of her Spotify podcast series, and was received with mix reactions from netizens who doubted the authenticity of the idea.

The Duchess of Sussex plans to release the series early in the summer. The podcast will discuss female stereotypes applied to women's intelligence and strength and will include interviews with historians and experts.

In the Spotify podcast series called "Archetypes," Meghan Markle "investigates the labels that try to hold women back." She will "speak with historians and experts to uncover the origin of these stereotypes and have uncensored conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape our narrative."

The Duchess of Sussex, through Archewell Audio, shared a teaser ahead of its release. The minute-long preview opened with clips of people using derogatory terms including "skanky," "less intelligent," and "weaker," among many others, and included snippets of interviews with women.

In it, Meghan Markle talks about how the show aims to dissect these stereotypes on women and speak with historians to trace their origin. She says in the teaser, "This is how we talk about women: the words that raise our girls, and how the media reflects women back to us. But where do these stereotypes come from? And how do they keep showing up and defining our lives?"

The 40-year old has yet to announce the lineup of guests and the exact release date of the first episode of the podcast series. But already, her choice of title "Archetypes" is causing controversy. Netizens claimed that the idea could have come from American author Caroline Myss' book "Archetypes: Who Are You."

In the book, the writer "delves into the world of archetypes, which in the context of the book is described as "universal patterns of behaviour that, once discovered, help you better understand yourself and your place in the world."

"My guess is Meghan read this book and copied her entire podcast idea from it," one commented.

Despite the criticism, supporters of Meghan Markle expressed their excitement to hear what insights her "Archetypes" Spotify podcast series will have regarding stereotypes on women. They also applauded her for the hard work she put on the show especially since it involves interviews with historians and huge amounts of research to discuss a serious and sensitive topic.