Who is Jameela Jamil? Brand, Career and Relationship with Meghan Markle

Actress and activist Jameela Jamil, 39, best known for her roles in She-Hulk and The Good Place, recently revealed that Meghan Markle, 43, sent her a 'message of support' when she was 'going through something very hard.' Speaking with The Times, Jamil emphasised that although the two are not close friends and live on 'different planets,' the Duchess of Sussex was 'kind' to the British actress, whose parents are from India and Pakistan. Aside from their ties to the UK and acting, the duo has plenty in common, with both of them running their own podcasts and promoting wellness through their brands.

From DMs to Collabs: Markle And Jamil's Relationship

The two A-listers have long had an amicable relationship, which began when Markle named Jamil as one of her 15 Forces For Change on a guest-edited Vogue article. In 2022, Jamil appeared on Markle's 'Archetypes', where she compared her relationship with James Blake to Markle and Prince Harry's. During the episode, Jamil revealed on her podcast that Markle often contacts women in their 'most lonely and desperate moments' to offer support.

She expressed her gratitude in an emotional statement, saying: 'I also just want to thank you, [...] during some of my hardest moments where I'm being the most maligned and harmed by the media, and also by the public, you have been such a sobering voice of unwavering support to me.'

'And you, people don't know, frequently reach out to women who are having a very very hard time privately,' Jamil added. You reach out to us. You don't do it publicly. You don't come to get any glory, but you privately reach out to us in our most lonely and desperate moments. And we need more of that in the world.'

From Frustration to Activism: The 'I Weigh' Movement

Jamil dove head-first into the body neutrality movement after seeing a picture of the Kardashians with their body weight written on it. In response, she posted her own version of the image—with a twist. Instead of writing her weight in kilograms, Jamil wrote what she believes actually defines her as a person—her values, relationships, experiences, and achievements.

Soon, others followed suit, posting their own versions of self-worth beyond numbers. Participants came from diverse backgrounds, from cancer survivors to assault survivors and people with disabilities. The trend quickly turned into I Weigh, a movement and Instagram community that's grown into a full-blown cultural shift, which Jamil calls 'a revolution against shame.'

'I was surprised that something so simple could catch on in the way that it did,' she admitted to Global Cause. 'But what's really amazing is how long it's gone on for. [...] Women come up to me—and I mean really famous women—and say how much they love I Weigh and how much it's helping them.'

Since then, Jamil has maintained her stance on body neutrality and self-love, denouncing diet culture and refusing to partner with brands promoting body shaming.

Uplifting Rather Than Criticising: Jamil's Mission

During her partnership with hygiene brand Billie, the brand shifted the conversation surrounding women's bodies from beauty to wellness. Instead of promoting items that would 'correct' things like discolouration, the brand focused on products targeting inflammation and hydration.

At Cannes Lions, she explained that she rejects projects that restrict 'a woman's freedom in how she feels and make her feel bad about herself.' Instead, she hopes to 'build' her audience's mental health by supporting brands that promote improved sleep quality and productivity—products most often advertised on 'men's podcasts.'

'Food–give us food,' she added. 'I want to remind women to eat, I don't want to sell diet products that tell women to stop eating. I don't want to be yet another reminder that women need to restrict and show their discipline via what their bodies look like.'

Jamil's activism isn't limited to body neutrality, however, as she has leveraged the I Weigh's popularity to speak out against other social causes close to her heart. Jamil particularly emphasises the struggles and aims of the disabled and LGBT+ communities, as she herself is part of both. Living with chronic illnesses like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and identifying as queer, Jamil brings real, lived experience to her advocacy, and uplifts others like her.

In a genius move, she turned her movement into a podcast, where she discusses identity, self-worth and body image with A-list celebrities, activists and other people of interest. Launched in 2020, 'I Weigh with Jameela Jamil' currently has 10K-100K monthly listeners. Guests have included Reese Witherspoon and Demi Lovato, with whom she's spoken about the negative impacts of the standards filters and fashion trends set up for everyone, from young girls to adult men.

Using her influence and popularity, Jamil has carved out a space where kindness, honesty, and inclusion take centre stage. Through I Weigh's platforms, she fights to dismantle harmful beauty standards publicly and, as she puts it, uplift rather than shame. Through her latest statements regarding Markle, Jamil is not only supporting a fellow woman in the spotlight but highlighting how far a little kindness can go and how we must lean on each other to create meaningful change.