Meghan Markle and Claudia Jordan (case number one) had very differing opinions about the way in which briefcase girls were treated. Photo / NBC
Meghan Markle and Claudia Jordan (case number one) had very differing opinions about the way in which briefcase girls were treated. Photo / NBC
Meghan Markle slammed Deal or No Deal in her recent Archetypes episode, and now a co-star has fired back at the claims.
In the episode titled Breaking Down ‘The Bimbo’ with Paris Hilton - Meghan said she felt “reduced to a bimbo” on the show and felt that it was about “beauty” as opposed to “brains.”
She said that she was starting to pursue her career as an actress, and while the show “wasn’t about acting, I was still really grateful as an auditioning actress to have a job”.
However, she later slammed the popular game show saying her time working as a “briefcase girl” left her feeling objectified and ultimately resulted in her quitting.
Now, Claudia Jordan, who starred on the show alongside Meghan and also stars on Real Housewives of Atlanta, has hit back at claims the duchess made.
Taking to Instagram, Jordan, 49, referenced Meghan’s statement that she was “reduced to a bimbo” while on the show and said, “For clarity - yes getting a modeling gig on a game show isn’t necessarily about your intellect,”
“But every show, the executive producers picked five models with the most outgoing and fun personalities to place mics on, who they knew would engage with the contestants,” adding, “And Deal or No Deal never treated us like bimbos. We got so many opportunities because of that show.”
Claudia Jordan insisted that producers worked to highlight the models with the 'most outgoing and fun personalities', adding that she never felt like a 'bimbo' while on the show. Photo / Instagram
The reality star went on to say that the opportunity is “what you make it” and said “if you show up and seize your moments, there’s no limits to what you can do with the opportunity.”
Jordan clarified she was not “attacking” the duchess, going onto say she has been “defending this woman in the media for years”, that she “still will” but admitted it was important for her to defend the show and all of the people who worked so hard to make it a success.
“Lord knows I’ve been defending this woman in the media for years,’ she said. ‘And I still will, but I just didn’t want any misunderstanding about the climate and environment on the Deal or no Deal set. And I’m especially protective of [host] Howie Mandel, who was nothing but kind and respectful to all 26 of us.”
The Archetypes episode was the second to be released after the Duchess of Sussex took a break from her podcast following the death of Queen Elizabeth in September.
Meghan also said during the episode she would like her daughter, Lilibet,1 – whom she shares with Prince Harry – to “aspire slightly higher” than a “bimbo”.
Her reason being that she believes there is a “negative connotation” attached to the word, “I don’t see that as an aspirational thing for a woman, I want our daughters to aspire to be slightly higher.
“I want my Lili to want to be educated and want to be smart and to pride herself on those things.” Meghan said.
