Meghan Markle's tech ally says ‘moonbump’ conspiracy made her life nightmare: 'Joyful moment is twisted'

LONDON, UK: Meghan Markle is once again the target of cruel moonbump conspiracy theories, following a hospital dance video she posted that has reignited speculation she faked both her pregnancies using prosthetic bellies.

Tech entrepreneur and online safety advocate Christopher Bouzy, who appeared in the Sussexes’ 2022 Netflix documentary, condemned the relentless trolling. 

Tech ally Christopher Bouzy slams Meghan Markle's online abuse as ‘twisted’ 

Bouzy said Meghan’s life has become a “nightmare” due to sustained online abuse, calling the claims “twisted” and “cruel,” according to the Daily Mail. 

“This nightmare is what Meghan's life has become,” Bouzy wrote. “Every joyful moment gets twisted into ammunition by people who've made destroying her their full-time job.”

Hospital dance video of Meghan Marke and Prince Harry fuels cruel 'moonbump' conspiracies online

The fresh wave of online abuse was triggered after Meghan shared a lighthearted video of herself dancing while nine months pregnant, alongside Prince Harry, in a hospital room. Set to Starrkeisha’s viral Baby Mama song, the video was part of a nostalgic post marking the births of their children.

“When Meghan Markle posted a lighthearted video of herself dancing in a hospital room while nine months pregnant, she probably thought she was sharing a relatable moment that other mothers would appreciate,” Bouzy wrote in a Newsweek column.

“Instead, within hours, online trolls and conspiracy theorists had weaponized it as 'proof' that she was never pregnant at all.”

Trolls flooded social media with claims that her baby bump looked too firm or sat too high, that the setting didn’t resemble a labor ward, and that her ability to move freely meant she couldn’t possibly be pregnant.

“Imagine being nine months pregnant, your body aching, preparing to bring life into the world, and thousands of strangers are dissecting your every photo to 'prove' your baby isn't real,” Bouzy wrote.

He added that the “moonbump” conspiracy, which falsely claims Meghan used a prosthetic belly and hired a surrogate — was especially cruel, given that she had publicly shared her miscarriage story to help others.

Meghan Markle's defender Christopher Bouzy has history of criticizing the Waleses

Bouzy, founder of the online safety platform Bot Sentinel, has positioned himself as a strong defender of Meghan and Harry, but he has also faced criticism for his own conduct on social media.

He once described Prince William as looking like a “balding Muppet” and said the Princess of Wales was aging as fast as a “banana.” He also likened the couple’s appearance to that of “Harry’s aunt and uncle.”

Bouzy even compared Kate Middleton’s video announcing her cancer diagnosis to “North Korean propaganda.”

Despite the apparent double standard, Bouzy maintains that the attacks on Meghan are rooted in racism and misogyny, stating, “All Meghan did was marry the man she loves while being Black. Just stop.”

“A woman of color protecting her family and defending herself isn’t narcissism; it’s survival,” he added.

Experts say Meghan Markle’s video may be a strategic response

Psychologists and public figures suggest that Meghan may have shared the video and other pregnancy imagery — including an ultrasound and a bare baby bump photo — to confront false narratives.

Professor Sander van der Linden, a social psychologist at the University of Cambridge, noted, “The idea that Meghan wore a 'moonbump' and used a surrogate was cooked up in 2019, when she was pregnant with Archie, by a minority of people who 'hated' her.”

He warned, however, that engaging directly with conspiracy theories can be risky: “Generally, the more you try to refute a conspiracy theory, the more you fuel the idea that there's something to it. There are some exceptions, where people can successfully dismiss conspiracy theories with humor and sarcasm, which is maybe what [Meghan] was attempting to do here.”

The twerking video was posted to Meghan’s official Instagram along with the caption: “Four years ago today, this also happened. Both of our children were a week past their due dates, so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn’t work – there was only one thing left to do!”

The Baby Mama dance challenge first went viral in 2018, with celebrities including Shay Mitchell and Chloe and Lauryn Goodman taking part.

Last month, Meghan celebrated her seventh wedding anniversary with Prince Harry by sharing a personal mood board on Instagram — featuring an ultrasound image and a bare baby bump — which many saw as a direct nod to her critics.