MUMBAI: Celebrity friends have come out in support of former actress Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, amid bullying claims by royal aides at Buckingham Palace.

While the Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that they will launch a probe into the matter, Meghan has called this a "a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation".

Meghan's friends in Hollywood tweeted in her support.

Roxane Gay tweeted: "Those British papers really cannot tolerate that Prince Harry loves a black woman. He was right to leave. I don't even think it was a hard decision. They will never ever stop trying to tear Meghan apart. It's absolutely grotesque. And for his family to question that decision, and do all these passive aggressive things to try and get ahead of the Oprah interview."

Gay continued: "To punish him for protecting his wife and babies. Smh. It's a shame. I know they are fine but I feel for them nonetheless."

Gabrielle Union, 48, retweeted Gay's messages and tweeted a "Sure, Jan" GIF from "The Brady Bunch", alongside a Times of London report claiming Meghan faced a bullying complaint by one of her "closest advisers" at Kensington Palace.

"Do y'all find yourselves getting mad as HELL every time they talk sideways about the Duchess Meghan?" tweeted Chance the Rapper.

Halle Berry, who is not very active on microblogging sites, made an exception as she posted, "It's still Protect Black Women."