The White House reacted to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey by endorsing Meghan after she admitted she considered suicide when she acclimated to royal life.

After being questioned whether the administration had any update on Winfrey’s revealing chat with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday, “Obviously many of us caught the interview, as many Americans did and many people around the world.”

“For anyone to come forward and speak about their own struggles with mental health and tell their own personal story, that takes courage, and that’s certainly something the President believes,” Psaki said, adding that Joe Biden remained dedicated to providing mental health services. “He’s talked about the importance of investing in a lot of these areas that they’re committed to in the future as well.”

“We aren’t going to provide additional commentary from here on behalf of the president or others,” she said, “given these are private citizens, sharing their own story and their own struggles.”

“I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.” Meghan told Winfrey at one point. She said she requested assistance from the palace’s human resources department, but was told it couldn’t support her.

Meghan, 39, revealed that she was naive when she first met Harry and was unprepared for the rigors of royal life.

More than 17 million viewers tuned in to see Winfrey interview the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for the first time as a couple after they stepped down as senior royal staff members last year. During the two-hour special on CBS, they revealed Meghan struggled with suicidal feelings after marrying into the royal family, and that several of Harry’s relatives voiced “concerns” over the interracial couple’s potential children’s skin tone.

The Duchess also explained how she sought assistance from the royal family institution but was turned down.

“I was told that I couldn’t [get help], that it wouldn’t be good for the institution,” she said. “I went to one of the most senior people to get help. And I share this because, there are so many people who are afraid to voice that they need help, and I know how hard it is to not just voice it but to be told no.” She later also went to human resources at the Palace, and was told that HR couldn’t help her because she wasn’t a paid employee.”

She even spoke about how living in the global spotlight of the monarchy, being scrutinized by the tabloid press and having her options restricted, had affected her mental health.

“I was ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry. But I knew that if I didn’t say it — then I would do it, ” Winfrey was told by Meghan. “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”

She went on to say that “[what’s] so important for people to remember is you have no idea what’s going on for someone behind closed doors. No idea. Even the people that smile and shine the brightest lights. You need to have compassion for what it actually potentially going on.”

Last year, Harry and Meghan, also identified as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, declared their retirement from royal roles, blaming “unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes” in the British media, and relocated to North America. This year, their breakup became official, and the interview was generally regarded as their first chance to justify their decision.

Before the Biden Foundation closed in 2019, President Joe Biden and his wife addressed mental health issues through their foundation. Many current service personnel, soldiers, and their families were served by the organization.

Under President Barack Obama’s presidency, the Bidens became buddies with Harry because of their mutual support for the military community, such as the Joining Forces campaign, which Jill Biden cofounded with Michelle Obama, and Harry’s Invictus Games. When Jill Biden traveled to the United Kingdom in 2014 to promote the inaugural Invictus Games, her husband laughed about how much time she spent with the prince: “And I read in the Guardian . . . everywhere Prince Harry went, he had this blonde woman on his arm. The vice president’s wife! I’m a little worried here, you know what I mean?”

Meghan, 39, gained praise from both peers and viewers for confiding in Winfrey about her struggles.

Serena Williams posted on Instagram, “Meghan Markle, my selfless friend, lives her life – and leads by example – with empathy and compassion.”

“She teaches me every day what it means to be truly noble,” Willliams said. “Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she’s experienced.”