George Clooney says he hopes for “kinder” treatment towards the Duchess of Sussex now she has become a mother.
The US actor, 58, has previously complained that Meghan was being “pursued and vilified” and compared her treatment to that of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Speaking at the Catch-22 premiere about media scrutiny of Meghan and Harry, he told the Associated Press: “I think it’ll (becoming parents) intensify it, of course.
“But it’s never about the media following you around, because that, in part, if you’re a royal, that’s part of what you have to do.
“It’s the other versions of it – going to interview people’s parents, that kind of stuff.”
“It starts to step into a really dark place,” said Clooney, who has denied he will be a godfather to the baby.
“It’s just, sort of, the press turned on them. I think people should be a little kinder. She’s a young woman who just had a baby.”
The Clooneys have holidayed with the Sussexes in Italy and were also at their wedding. Amal Clooney also attended Meghan’s luxury baby shower.
Hollywood star Clooney also joked to Entertainment Tonight about sharing a birthday with the young royal.
“I was a little irritated because that kid really is stealing my thunder!,” he said.
The actor gushed about his international human rights lawyer wife, following the release of two Reuters journalists in Burma after they were imprisoned over reporting on security forces’ abuses of Rohingya Muslims.
“My wife spent the last year, every day… working, as hard as you could work, behind the scenes, to get these guys out,” the father of twins said.
“And last night for my birthday, at my birthday dinner, those two men (Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo) walked out. And I have to tell you, I couldn’t be more proud of my wife,” he told the Associated Press.
“It’s a dangerous time, you know. It’s a dangerous time to be a journalist.”
Clooney stars in, produced and partially directed the TV adaptation of Joseph Heller’s novel.
The six-episode mini-series will air on Channel 4 in the UK.