Chrissy Teigen passionately spoke up for Meghan Markle, whom she considers a ‘deeply misunderstood’ friend, calling her ‘incredibly strong’ during a recent conversation with People magazine this week.

Reflecting on their bond, the 39-year-old model and cookbook author expressed her deep affection for the Duchess of Sussex, 44, and admitted she can’t comprehend the intense scrutiny Markle faces.

‘It is insane to me how polarizing she is for so many different people,’ the mother-of-four said. 

‘She truly is such a kind, genuine person who wants the best for her friends, those around her, and her own family,’ Teigen commented.

According to Teigen, none of Meghan’s so-called ‘polarizing’ moments were ever calculated for image or attention.

Teigen elaborated, ‘She just lives a straightforward life. People speculate about what she desires or represents, but it’s really not that complex.’

‘People are always going to read into what they want to read into, and they’re going to hyperfocus into what they want to believe,’ she added. 

‘People are just going to come up with their own story,’ she continued. ‘I think it’s cool that [Meghan] is just like, “Listen, say whatever you want. I’m happy and I’m healthy and I feel good.”‘ 

When asked whether her children, Luna, 9, Miles, 7, and 2-year-old twins Esti and Wren, have playdates with Meghan and Prince Harry’s kids, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, Teigen admitted that it hasn’t happened yet.

‘I don’t leave the house,’ Teigen joked. ‘I’m not joking. I don’t go anywhere. I try to do every photo shoot, every everything at our house. So no. But if the time came up, absolutely.’

Teigen’s comments come shortly after she joined the Duchess of Sussex on season two of her show With Love, Meghan. 

In their episode, the pair reflected on how they met as Deal or No Deal briefcase models nearly two decades ago.

At the beginning of the episode of season two, which was released on Netflix on Tuesday, Meghan reflected on how they ‘crossed paths’ in her ‘past life.’

‘I remember when I used to audition [in Hollywood]. I’d get so nervous. I’d always get blotchy on my chest,’ the former actress recalled. 

‘I just started auditioning in turtlenecks only. I was like, “Nothing to see here!”‘

Ahead of Teigen’s entrance in the episode, Meghan mused: ‘I’m so excited that I get to see Chrissy again. I haven’t seen her in almost 20 years.’

‘I reached out and we reconnected just a couple years ago.’ 

Teigen was a briefcase model on the original Deal or No Deal in 2005 and 2006, during the show’s pilot and first season. She also appeared in a different role in season two. 

As for the duchess, she overlapped with Teigen, as she was a briefcase model on the show in 2006 and 2007 — appearing in 34 episodes during those two years. 

‘I was thinking about how many moons ago we crossed paths. That was a past life — that was good old Deal or No Deal,’ Meghan told Teigen when they reunited on camera. 

Teigen chimed in: ‘I feel like our lives have had so many chapters and that one being a really important, really funny one. I remember basically being a backup girl — the alternate!’ 

‘I remember having to stand in line to get our lashes on all in a row,’ Meghan recalled. 

‘I do remember coming off stage one day and they held like a Ziploc bag open and we all took our eyelashes off and put it in there — I was like, “Are these for… tomorrow?” What a time, though,’ Teigen added. 

Meghan then reflected on how much their lives have changed in the past two decades of appearing on the game show together.

‘I was just so happy to have health insurance,’ Meghan said. ‘I left that show and then a year or so later you got famous. I was like, “Oh my god, she’s on the cover of Sports Illustrated. How far we’ve come. How’s that for memory lane?’