Meghan Markle is very different than how she is portrayed in media, says Gloria Steinem.

Speaking to PEOPLE in a recent chat, Steinem admitted that the Duchess of Sussex was a ‘great human being.’

She began: “I’m not an expert on the media, but it seems to me that she is different from the picture of her in the media.

“She’s smart and funny and devoted to social issues.

“Maybe it’s the British tabloids that are the problem.”

Ms Steinem added: “For a while, we were living almost next… well, what in California counts as next door, which is like 45 minutes away.

“So we got to know each other,” she continued.

Ms Steinem famously In 2020 gave a present to Meghan after her bombshell Oprah interv Ms Steinem gifted a bracelet to Meghan that read: “We are linked not ranked.”

Ms Steinem told PEOPLE: “I think we as human beings — or maybe living things on planet Earth, right? — are linked, not ranked.

“We have systems of race and gender and class that rank us, and that’s actually not accurate.”