The Archewell Foundation’s Parents Network is giving off major smoke-and-mirrors energy. The entire initiative seems like a half-hearted effort by Meghan and Harry to present themselves as philanthropists, but in reality, it comes across as a vanity project meant to enhance their public image.
From the outset, it raises serious concerns. Transparency, for one, is sorely lacking. It’s nearly impossible to understand what this network actually does. Even after digging through the Archewell website, the only information available is a vague message about supporting parents whose children have suffered due to social media. No details, no clear mission—just a string of lofty phrases like “collective healing” and “elevating our voices,” with no explanation of actual programs or tangible outcomes. It’s difficult to take any of it seriously when there's such a noticeable absence of clarity.
Then there's the issue of measurability. People are donating to this foundation, and they deserve to know where their money is going. Meghan and Harry claim they’re “taking action,” but what does that actually look like? There’s no way to track progress or outcomes. They talk about preventing children from being harmed by social media, but how? Are they engaging with platforms? Lobbying for policy change? The answers aren’t there—just vague assurances and empty rhetoric. The whole thing seems ungrounded, with no accountability in sight.
The timing of the launch adds to the skepticism. They chose to unveil the initiative on Meghan’s birthday, which makes it feel less like a genuine act of service and more like a strategic PR move. It seems designed to boost her public image under the guise of charity—reminiscent of her previous 40x40 campaign, which failed to gain traction. These efforts tend to follow a pattern: grand in appearance, shallow in execution, and ultimately focused more on spotlighting Meghan than solving real issues.
There's also a visible strain between Meghan and Harry during public appearances tied to this project. Their interactions have an awkwardness that’s hard to ignore. Meghan’s expressions toward Harry during these moments have been telling—cold glances, subtle eye-rolls—suggesting a lack of unity. This disconnect only adds to the perception that the initiative lacks authenticity. If the people at the center of the project aren’t even on the same page, it’s hard to believe in the sincerity of their mission.
Perhaps the most baffling part of this initiative is the inclusion of Chrissy Teigen. Meghan invited her to participate in the project, despite Teigen’s well-known history of online bullying, including her targeting of a teenage Courtney Stodden. Chrissy’s tweets were cruel and abusive—hardly the background one would expect from a guest on a platform supposedly focused on online safety. Meghan aligning herself with someone like Chrissy undercuts the entire purpose of the Parents Network and exposes a deep hypocrisy. It sends a conflicting message to the very families they claim to support, making it harder to take the initiative seriously.
In the end, the Parents Network feels more like a strategic publicity campaign than a meaningful contribution to addressing online harms faced by children. If Meghan and Harry truly want to make a difference, they need to move beyond surface-level gestures and start engaging in concrete efforts—like collaborating with tech companies or advocating for legislative reform. Until then, this just seems like another attempt to stay in the spotlight, and unfortunately, it’s missing the mark.
