Carla Bruni posted an edited photo of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Meghan Markle replaced by Yoko Ono.
The former French First Lady, 55, posted the photoshopped image with the lyrics to The Beatles’ ‘All You Need is Love’ to her 750,000 followers.
Nicholas Sarkozy’s wife even tagged the royal family in the post, which some praised but others slammed as “racist” for comparing the two women of color and their alleged influence on their husbands.
Ono is regularly cited as the main reason for the Beatles’ split, although the Fab Four deny their involvement.
Carla Bruni has been slammed for posting an edited photo of Prince Harry replacing Meghan Markle with Yoko Ono
Like the Duchess of Sussex, Ono was an actress who relocated to the UK to marry at a world-renowned British institution, but soon left for the US amid a dramatic breakup.
Some critics now believe that the idea that she was a Svengali-like character who ensnared John Lennon and deliberately caused the breakup of the greatest band of all time was a narrative rooted in sexism and racism.
While some have questioned Meghan’s role in Harry’s ongoing war of words against the royals, others say it’s unfair to blame her for his decision to abandon his family and launch missiles at Buckingham Palace from the US.
The Duchess of Sussex stayed out of sight during the media frenzy for his new memoir, Spare, which was released today.
The couple had previously appeared together in their Netflix specials and their bombshell interview with Opray Winfrey, in which they leveled racism allegations at the royal family, which Harry tried to take back on Sunday.
One person commented on Bruni’s post: “No. Not funny. Why are you posting something so insensitive? Serious. Why do you condone racism and support hateful rhetoric?
“Meghan has been the target of several death threats in recent years, Yoko was threatened many years ago and then John was murdered… This post reveals a lot about you… and it’s disappointing.”
The former French First Lady, 55, posted the photoshopped image with the lyrics to The Beatles’ ‘All You Need is Love’ to her 750,000 followers
Nicholas Sarkozy’s wife even tagged the royal family in the post, which some praised, others criticized (pictured in Saudi Arabia in December).
Many criticized Bruni’s post, saying in their Instagram comments that it was “degrading” and “condoning racism.”
Another said: “This is disrespectful and racist towards women of color. I love you so much that it fills me with sadness to see you are reaching such a low level on your social media platform.”
One Twitter user wrote: “Carla Bruni, a white woman, continues to blame the WOC [women Women of Colour] for the decisions their white partners make.
‘Funny how they never blame one of the white partners. Ugh, I’m upset that I ever admired Carla. I’m done with her.”
Another commented: “I’ve given Carla Bruni a lot more credit historically. It wasn’t deserved. If given the opportunity to be a clown, most white women will take it.
“Just like Yoko had nothing to do with the Beatles breaking up (damn it, all groups break up eventually), Meg has nothing to do with Harry’s choice.”
Bruni, Sarkozy’s third wife, has previously fought her own controversy in France after dating renowned philosopher and TV personality Raphaël Enthoven and his publisher and author father Jean-Paul Enthoven.
Others expressed approval of the joke, which divided Bruni’s supporters
She reportedly had an affair with Mick Jagger when she was in her 20s, which his wife Jerry Hall said hastened their divorce.
She also briefly dated musician Eric Clapton in 1990.
She was rumored to have had a brief fling with Donald Trump, however the model said the US President fabricated those claims.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan, 41, moved to California from the UK in early 2020 and have been raising their two children, Archie and Lilibet, in a $14.65 million mansion in Montecito since early 2021.
Although Harry has admitted he doesn’t think his family will ever return to the UK or royal life full-time, he has hinted that he and Meghan will not be relinquishing their official titles.
In an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday, Anderson asked Cooper why they wouldn’t have given up their titles of duke and duchess if they wanted a peaceful existence away from the media.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle after their wedding in 2018
Ono is regularly cited as the main reason for the Beatles’ split, although the Fab Four deny their involvement
Cooper said: “One of the criticisms you’ve received is that you want to move to California and step down from the institutional role.
“Why so public? Why reveal conversations you had with your father or with your brother?
“You say you tried to do this in private.”
Harry replied: “Every time I tried to do it privately there were briefings and leaks and planting stories against me and my wife.
“You know, the family motto is: never complain, never explain.
“But it’s just a motto. And it doesn’t really last.’
The couple announced they will step down from royal duties on January 8, 2020.
At the time, they wrote in a joint statement that they made the decision after “many months of thought and internal discussions.”
They said they wanted to “work to become financially independent while continuing to give their full support to Her Majesty The Queen”.