Meghan Markle gets pulled into BLM dispute involving best friend Jessica Mulroney
Meghan Markle has reportedly been drawn into a dispute that sprung up this month between her BFF, stylist Jessica Mulroney, and Canadian Instagram influencer Sasha Exeter and resulted in both Mulroney and her husband leaving their television gigs.
The saga began when Exeter, who is Black, posted a lengthy video on Instagram accusing Mulroney, who is white, of taking offense to a general call for action related to the Black Lives Matter movement and threatening Exeter’s livelihood.
“What happened next was a series of very problematic behavior and antics that ultimately resulted in her sending me a threat in writing,†Exeter said in her June 10 video, referencing an exchange from a week earlier. She blamed Mulroney’s “textbook white privilege.â€
She said Mulroney had, in their exchanges, “basically ticked every single box of what a white woman shouldn’t do during the biggest racial uproar in history, citing that this wasn’t really a problem that she wanted to share on her social channels.â€
Exeter marveled at Mulroney’s behavior, noting that “her best friend is arguably one of the most famous Black women in the world.†She said Mulroney claimed to have “talked to companies and people†about how Exeter had treated her unfairly, which among influencers, who make their money by promoting products, can be seen as a threat.
Mulroney apologized the day after the video went live with a statement on Instagram, writing that Exeter had “rightfully called me out for not doing enough when it came to engaging in the important and difficult conversation about race and injustice in our society. I took it personally and that was wrong. I know I need to do better.â€
The same day, Mulroney’s reality show, “I Do, Redo,†was pulled off the air by Canadian network CTV. A day later, “Good Morning America†announced she would no longer appear as a fashion contributor.
“I respect the decision of CTV and have decided to step away from my professional engagements at this time. I’m going to take this time to reflect, learn and focus on my family,†Mulroney said in a statement posted June 11 on Twitter.
Then Friday, “ET†— quoting an unnamed source — reported that Markle had “distanced herself†from Mulroney because her initial comments had been “unacceptable and offensive†but had in no way cut off her close friend completely.
Former actress Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, speaks about George Floyd’s death in a virtual address to Immaculate Heart High School graduates.
“Jessica has been a source of strength for Meghan in the past during some of her most difficult times. She even watched over [Markle’s son] Archie,†the source said.
The fallout appeared to be complete on Monday, when Ben Mulroney, Jessica’s husband and the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, announced on Canada’s “Your Morning†show that he would be stepping down as host of CTV’s entertainment news show “etalk†after 18 years.
“It is my hope that that new anchor is Black, Indigenous or a person of color, and they can use this important platform to inspire, to lead and to make change,†he said.
Prince Harry, who with wife Meghan delivered coronavirus meals in WeHo, jokes that quarantine life with an 11-month-old son is challenging enough.
Markle, now Duchess of Sussex, has called Jessica Mulroney “one of my closest girlfriends.†She and husband Prince Harry relocated to Los Angeles in March.
The Canadian stylist became friends with the actress after Markle moved to Toronto to film the TV series “Suits,†which featured her from 2011 to 2018.
Mulroney’s three kids were among the 10 children who served — along with Princess Charlotte and Prince George — as bridesmaids and page boys in Markle’s May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
