Jeremy Clarkson Faces Backlash for 'Dangerous' Meghan Markle Comments

Jeremy Clarkson
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The former 'Top Gear' host is facing widespread condemnation for his recent op-ed about the Duchess of Sussex.

British TV personality Jeremy Clarkson is facing a tidal wave of criticism following his inflammatory column for The Sun, in which he detailed how much "hate" he has for Meghan Markle.

In the op-ed, the former Top Gear presenter espoused his dislike for the Duchess of Sussex and made a particularly unsettling reference to a scene from Game of Thrones, leading many to accuse him of misogyny, and much worse.

"At night, I'm unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, 'Shame!' and throw lumps of excrement at her," he wrote.

That comment -- among a slew of others -- spurred instant and resounding backlash, and Clarkson subsequently asked The Sun to take down the column. He apologized for the remarks (although not the sentiment) on Twitter.

"Oh dear. I’ve rather put my foot in it. In a column I wrote about Meghan, I made a clumsy reference to a scene in Game of Thrones and this has gone down badly with a great many people," he tweeted. "I’m horrified to have caused so much hurt and I shall be more careful in future."

In the overtly antagonistic column, Clarkson said he hated Markle "on a cellular level" and implied his hatred for her was greater than his hatred for notorious English serial killer Rose West, who murdered at least nine young women and her stepdaughter -- in collaboration with her murderous husband -- throughout the 1970s and '80s.

Clarkson also mentioned hatred for Nicola Sturgeon the First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party, who is also the first woman to hold both titles. 

Sturgeon responded to the column with a fiery rebuke, telling The Times, "I think what he said about Meghan Markle was deeply misogynist and just downright awful and horrible."

"My overwhelming emotion about guys like Jeremy Clarkson is pity. I mean, what is it that makes somebody so distorted by hate that they end up writing these things?" Sturgeon shared. "I think that possibly gives an insight into Jeremy Clarkson and the kind of person he is. So maybe he just needs to take a step back from things and just think about life a bit more."

The Clarkson's Farm star's daughter, podcaster and author Emily Clarkson, also condemned her famous father's remarks in a statement posted to Instagram.

"My views are and have always been clear when it comes to misogyny, bullying and the treatment of women by the media," wrote Emily Clarkson. "I want to make it very clear that I stand against everything that my dad wrote about Meghan Markle and I remain standing in support of those that are targeted with online hatred."

The column has received nearly universal backlash, as many internationally have come to the defense of Markle, as well as her husband, Prince Harry.

Thus far, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not publicly responded to Clarkson's comments. Amazon Prime Video, which has produced both Clarkson's Farm and his follow-up to Top Gear, Grand Tour, have also not commented.

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