Meghan Markle faced a wave of criticism from CNN viewers after an on-air segment compared her wedding to Prince Harry with Taylor Swift's marriage to Travis Kelce. The backlash erupted during a discussion on The Story Is, where Emmy-winning journalist Segun Oduolowu argued that Markle's 2018 wedding held more significance than Swift's recent nuptials.
CNN Guest Sparks Outrage with Royal Wedding Comparison
Host Elex Michaelson asked Oduolowu whether Swift and Kelce's wedding, held at Madison Square Garden in New York, could be considered "our version of a royal wedding." Oduolowu strongly disagreed, stating: "Absolutely not. This is your favourite gym teacher marrying your favourite English teacher. How soon we forget Meghan Markle, who is American and actually married a royal? That was our royal wedding!"
Oduolowu further implied that Kelce's relationship with Swift boosted his public profile. "Look, I love Travis Kelce, he's a great tight end, but he's not Tom Brady, he's not Patrick Mahomes, he's not Peyton Manning. The quarterbacks are the superstars of the NFL, and his cache was raised tremendously by being associated with Taylor Swift," he insisted.
Viewers React on Social Media
The comments drew immediate backlash on X (formerly Twitter). One user fumed: "Literally nobody cares about Meghan Markle. What the f*** is this guy on? Travis was all over the sports map prior to Taylor. Taylor Swift is the most famous white woman in the world." Another added: "This Segun guy is clearly a hater of Travis and Taylor! The way he is trying to hide his hatred and Meghan Markle? Comparing her to Taylor Swift?"
A third critic wrote: "Don’t disagree with him because Americans have no royalty but why are people so obsessed with making Meghan Markle this relevant American woman? America has at least 20 women who are public figures and are more influential and relevant than her. Get over this s**". A fourth simply said: "Megan Markle? Get out of here."
Taylor Swift's Wedding Details
Swift and Kelce married nearly three years after first meeting. Their wedding took place at Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan, officiated by comedy legend Adam Sandler, according to a spokesperson for Swift. In a break from tradition, Swift had no bridesmaids; instead, her brother Austin Swift served as her man of honour. Kelce's best man was his older brother, NFL veteran Jason Kelce.
The couple's wedding looks have not yet been publicly released, but it was confirmed that Swift wore a custom haute couture gown by Jonathan Anderson of Christian Dior, while Kelce also wore a Dior haute couture ensemble. Both wore Christian Louboutin shoes, and Swift accessorised with Cartier jewellery. The event marked the first time Anderson designed a couture wedding dress for a celebrity of Swift's stature.
