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 Harry and Winfrey speak in
detail about their own histories of trauma and
anxiety in "The Me You Can't See," arriving on
Apple TV+ on Friday.
Others taking part include actress Glenn Close,
Lady Gaga, who recalls being raped during her
early years in the music industry, as well as
boxer Virginia Fuchs, Syrian refugee kids and
people with issues ranging from schizophrenia
and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) to
depression and addiction.
"It wouldn't have been fair of us to ask people
to put themselves out there, to be vulnerable,
to share their story, if we weren't willing to
do the same," Harry said in an interview with
Reuters ahead of the series launch.
The five-part documentary marks Harry's first
outing as a producer since he and his wife
Meghan quit their duties as members of the
British royal family and moved to California
last year. They have since signed production
deals with Netflix and Spotify.
Harry said that telling his own story "was a
very easy decision because I do this to serve
other people and to be able to share that story,
knowing the positive impact that it will have.
Even if it's just for one person, it's worth
it."
Harry, formally known as the Duke of Sussex, is
seen in the series undergoing a form of therapy
known as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and
Reprocessing) to treat unresolved anxiety
stemming from his anger at the media and the
death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was
12.
He opens up in detail about how Diana's death in
1997 influenced his decision to quit the glare
of life in the royal family.
Harry said he was told by his father, heir to
the throne Prince Charles, that media attention
and being part of the institution was something
he had to get used to.
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 "That doesn't make sense. Just
because you suffered, it doesn't mean that your
kids have to suffer. In fact, quite the
opposite. If you suffered, do everything you can
to make sure that any negative experiences you
had, you can make it right for your kids," he
says in the documentary.
"Isn't this all about breaking the cycle?," he
says. Winfrey, now one of the
most influential Black women in the United
States, spoke of a childhood that saw her
whipped by her grandmother, made to sleep on an
outdoor porch by her mother and raped by a
cousin at age 9.
Telling her story was crucial to her ability to
process it, she said.
Winfrey said the documentary, which includes
contributions from 14 health experts, was
intended to be global in its reach.
"Whether you see yourself through these stories,
or better understand a family member or a
friend, or whatever your experience is... it
will help you understand a variety of disorders
and have more empathy and understanding," she
told Reuters.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, Editing by Rosalba
O'Brien)
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