Meghan Markle and Mariah Carey Get Candid About Having Natural Hair in Hollywood

“Here’s the thing: They didn’t know how to do my hair.”

meghan markle
(Image credit: Max Mumby/Getty)

Meghan Markle’s podcast, "Archetypes," has officially arrived—and the royal made a point to be candid in the inaugural episodes. She touched on the racism she faced since she started dating now-husband Prince Harry, talked about reclaiming her social media presence, and shared her experience as a bi-racial woman in Hollywood. The latter is something she bonded over with Mariah Carey, her second guest on the podcast.

“Here’s the thing: They [hairstylists] didn’t know how to do my hair,'' the “All I Want for Christmas Is You” singer said while talking about her early career. “If it was a white hairdresser that had never dealt with textured hair, they would tend to do a different thing and my hair would be like, ‘You’re not doing that!’” And if she was working with a hairstylist trained in natural hair?  Carey found they weren’t accustomed to her mixed hair texture and would use “too much product.” 

mariah carey natural hair

(Image credit: Paul Natkin/Getty)

Markle, who described her hair as “so curly and so, so thick,” had a similar experience. She recalled her hair being “shellacked” by “so much heavy grease” during her acting days. Similar experiences in the glam chair isn’t the only common ground the two share. Markle went on to explain that as a teen she wanted to “dress, look, be, sing, and do everything” like Carey because of their similar backgrounds. 

“She was so glamorous and fabulous and talented. She was successful. And she was mixed, like me,” the Suits alum said about Carey. “She was an aspirational figure I could see…and you have to see it to believe it, they say. Well, I could see her. It made me feel like I was also seen.” 

Following the release of the conversation, “Archetypes'' topped Spotify’s global charts. According to The Cut, future episodes will feature Constance Wu, Issa Rae, Lisa Ling, Margaret Cho and Ziwe, among others. 

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Samantha Holender
Beauty Editor

Samantha Holender is the Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.