The interview-heavy project has been in the works for more than two years—since April 2019, to be exact. That’s long before Harry and wife Meghan Markle decided to step back from their royal roles and move from Britain to California with young son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, and before Harry and Markle (who’s now pregnant with their second child, a girl) sat down with Winfrey earlier this year for a tell-all interview. In fact, AppleTV+ announced the Harry-Oprah collaboration before the streaming service had even officially launched. Now that it’s finally almost here, keep reading to find out more about The Me You Can’t See.
When is The Me You Can’t See’s release date?
Apple TV+ will release all episodes of The Me You Can’t See May 21.
What is The Me You Can’t See about?
In its official description of the series, Apple TV+ states that The Me You Can’t See “explores mental health and emotional well-being with stories from people around the world. With storytelling at its core, this timely series gives a voice to stories that aim to seek truth, understanding and compassion. It’s about people, our experiences, and why we feel the way that we do.” Earlier this month, NBC News reported that the series aims to “transcend culture, age, gender, and socioeconomic status to destigmatize a highly misunderstood subject and give hope to viewers who learn that they are not alone.”
Watch The Me You Can’t See’s trailer
What celebrities are in The Me You Can’t See?
While the mental struggles of everyday people will figure prominently in the docuseries, The Me You Can’t See will also feature a slew of celebs from across the worlds of sports, music, movies and more, with all of them speaking frankly about the mental health issues they’ve faced. Lady Gaga—who is identified in the trailer by her real first name, Stefani—admits through tears, “I’ve been through it and people need help.” Also brought to tears in the trailer? Actress Glenn Close, who says, “I think it’s our natural state to be connected.” NBA superstar DeMar DeRozan is also a focus of the trailer, as is the tweet he once sent in the middle of the night in February 2018 that sparked a frank discussion on social media; he simply wrote, “This depression get the best of me…” The preview also includes a photograph of RobinWilliams, who committed suicide in 2014 at the age of 63 after his lifelong battles with alcohol and drug addictions as well as depression. Other celebs you may catch a glimpse of in the trailer include Olympic boxer Virginia “Ginny” Fuchs, Chopped champion Rashad Armstead, motivational speaker Zak Williams (Robin Williams’ son) and DeRozan’s NBA colleague, Langston Galloway.
Does Meghan Markle appear in The Me You Can’t See?
Yes! The Duchess of Sussex makes two quick cameos in the trailer, although whether or not she will also discuss mental health issues in the docuseries remains to be seen. And Winfrey and Prince Harry, in addition to co-executive producing the series, likewise open up on camera about their own difficulties when it comes to mental health and how they’ve worked to address them. Harry admits, “To make that decision to receive help is not a sign of weakness. In today’s world, more than ever, it is a sign of strength.”
What was the inspiration behind The Me You Can’t See?
Both Prince Harry and Winfrey have been vocal about their own, personal struggles with mental illness in the past, while also advocating for greater mental health awareness across the globe. In 2017, Winfrey admitted to Vogue that she experienced her first bout of depression in 1998, after her big-screen adaptation of Toni Morrison’s acclaimed novel Beloved, which Winfrey both produced and starred in, bombed at the box office. “It’s more than ‘I feel bad about this.’ I felt like I was behind a veil,” Winfrey said about her depression. “I felt like what many people had described over the years on my show, and I could never imagine it. What’s depression? Why don’t you just pick yourself up?” Prince Harry has been a longtime advocate for mental health support, both personally and professionally. In 2016, he launched a UK charity called Heads Together alongside his brother, Prince William, and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.The goal of Heads Together is to “campaign to tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health with fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services.” At a 2018 panel discussion alongside Markle, Prince Harry said he was proud of Heads Together for changing “the perception of mental health.” And, of course, Harry famously worried about his wife’s mental health in the months leading up to their departure from the UK. In October 2019, he issued a bold statement calling out the British press for “bullying” Markle and causing her “private suffering.” That same month, Markle’s mental struggles were made plain for the whole world to see when she tearfully admitted on camera in an interview with a UK journalist, “It’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.” When asked if she was “not really OK,” Markle had simply replied, “Yes.”
Where and how to watch The Me You Can’t See
All episodes of The Me You Can’t See will be available to stream exclusively on AppleTV+ Friday, May 21. Next, find out why Meghan Markle compared herself to The Little Mermaid.
