Meghan Markle has been in the spotlight lately after a scathing Vanity Fair article, which contained claims of "bullying" and "mean girl" behavior.

A royal correspondent has now claimed the duchess was given the nickname by former associates during her Spotify podcast days, comparing her to a manipulative TV character.

After allegations of bullying resurfaced, sources close to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have dismissed the reports, noting how "heartbreaking" it was for the royal couple.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Royal correspondent Neil Sean revealed that Meghan earned the unpleasant nickname while working with Spotify on her podcast, Archetypes.

Sean claims former Spotify employees referred to the Duchess of Sussex as "Eve," a nod to the 1955 movie "Queen Bee" starring Joan Crawford.

He said: "Former staff members ... told me they decided to christen her 'Eva' and that was used as a warning signal to let people know she was either arriving or on the warpath."

Sean added that it "wasn't a catchy pet nickname," explaining that it "comes from the 1955 camp classic 'Queen Bee' starring the ultimate diva... herself - Joan Crawford... That's because, like the character Joan (Eva Phillips), she stabbed her victims to pieces.

However, Meghan was apparently unaware of the moniker during her time on Spotify.

Sean's remarks followed soon after Vanity Fair published a critical cover story describing the life of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in California.

According to Sean, "there were a lot of things that weren't covered."

He told the news outlet that "behind the scenes, the staff (found) Meghan really hard to deal with, simply because of her ... mood swings and how well certain aspects of her career were going ... (they) thought she was quite firm and commanding, so I decided (to give her) the nickname of that character... She was in a high camp without realizing it."

Sources also say that Meghan insisted on dealing exclusively with "the person at the top" during the collaboration, emphasizing her status as a duchess and a member of the royal family.

"When that person is not around, they have to be reminded that they are dealing with someone who is a duchess and more importantly, a member of the British royal family," Sean was reportedly told.

He continued: "This worked at first because people were... fooled by Meghan's presence. But it quickly disappeared when she became demanding... apparently forgetting her tough acting days."

According to Sean, Meghan wasn't the only topic of conversation backstage. Prince Harry is said to have been nicknamed "Tim Nice But Dim", a reference to a famous British TV comedian.

Sean noted that, like Megan, Harry was unaware of the nickname the staff had given him.

Several former employees who worked with the couple spoke Vanity Fair and shared honest accounts of their experiences.

They described Meghan as initially "warm and penetrating", fostering a sense of "professional camaraderie".

However, this positive behavior reportedly changed whenever something went wrong - "often at the request of Meghan and Harry".

At such times, Meghan was described as "cold and reserved towards the person she felt was responsible".

Kinsey Schofield, host of the "To Di For Daily" podcast, also shared her belief in the claims about Meghan's alleged behavior towards employees.

"Former Sussex employees, Meghan is bombarding potential employees and employees who remain in line," Schofield said. "But once you deviate from her vision, she rejects you. When you're out in the cold, you become obsessed with trying to get back into her good graces. Late at night, you go ahead and shower praise on Meghan and her ideas."

I'm talking to Fox News DigitalSchofield explained that she was not surprised by the lingering allegations of bullying during Markle's time as a member of the royal family.

"They're probably true," she said. "Royal writer Valentine Low told me that former Sussex staff approached him to speak out when they heard about Meghan's interview with Oprah (2021). They wanted to make sure their version of events was out there."

Schofield explained that "former employees watch what they believe is a really disingenuous performance in an attempt to change public perception, and it makes them angry, so they speak out."

Following a scathing Vanity Fair article about the Sussexes, a source close to the couple revealed The Times that they found the allegations "shocking".

Close associates of Harry and Meghan also spoke The Daily Beast that the couple is discouraged by the allegations, especially given their challenging situation: Harry's legal battles in the UK and Meghan's long-awaited Netflix show are being delayed.

The Sussexes reportedly feel the bombshell on the cover story "managed to make the bad weather worse".