Ousted from the inner circle. Meghan Markle and Jessica Mulroney were once inseparable, but their friendship recently took a turn for the worse.
The former Suits star and the stylist became fast friends while the USA show was filming in Toronto, bonding over shared interests like fashion, fitness and female empowerment. Mulroney eventually lent a hand in selecting the wedding dress that Markle’s character, Rachel Zane, wore in her final episode of the legal drama.
Over the years, the pair spent time traveling the world and pursuing their dreams together. The Canadian fashion expert was one of several special guests at Markle’s May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry in England, and her twin sons, whom she shares with husband Ben Mulroney, took on the role of page boys at the royal ceremony.
“Proud friend. Proud mom,” Jessica later captioned an Instagram photo of her boys with Markle on the big day.
Though Jessica was ready to show her support for the California native at any turn, their friendship faced a bump in the road after Markle and her husband made their royal exit. In June 2020, the former Good Morning America personality came under fire when influencer Sasha Exeter called her out for her allegedly “very problematic behavior and antics” within the fashion community. Jessica later apologized — and tried to use her friendship with Markle to her advantage.
“As I told you privately, I have lived a very public and personal experience with my closest friend where race was front and centre,” she wrote via Instagram in response to Exeter’s claims. “It was deeply educational. I learned a lot from that. I promise to continue to learn and listen on how I can use my privilege to elevate and support Black voices.”
Days later, a source told Us Weekly exclusively that the former duchess wasn’t happy to have been involved in Jessica’s drama.
“Meghan could not get over that Jessica brought up her relationship with Meghan when she commented about her ‘closest friend’ in the discourse with Sasha,” the insider said at the time. “That was hugely offensive to Meghan and the deciding factor for her. Meghan considers the relationship to be done.”
Scroll down to relive the pair’s fashionable friendship up until their falling out.
Despite Mulroney's supposed cameo in vol. 1 of Meghan & Harry — via throwback footage of the duchess telling a friend named Jess about Harry's proposal — Meghan's old pal was not interviewed in the first half of the Netflix docuseries. Days after the first three episodes aired, Mulroney shared a cryptic quote via Instagram that read, "Best thing I ever did was learn how to move without the crowd. Shutterstock; Broadimage/Shutterstock
The duo connected over a shared love for fitness and fashion when Markle moved to Toronto to film Suits in 2011. "They went to the same yoga and Pilates and became firm friends," royal expert Kate Nicholl told Cosmopolitan in May 2018. "Meghan really looks up to Jessica. She thinks she’s a talented person, a wonderful mother, and a great best friend." Courtesy of Jessica Mulroney/Instagram
Markle set off on a fashion journey of her own when she founded The Tig in 2013. Her lifestyle blog was a representation of her favorite food, travel, fashion and beauty — and Jessica's own style had a noticeable influence on the content. David Dettmann/Shutterstock
"Girls trip has officially begun with @meghanmarkle (which means don't bother me unless you have to)," Jessica teased via Instagram in February 2016 as she and the retired actress jetted off to the Cayman Islands. Courtesy of Jessica Mulroney/Instagram
"Happy wife happy life #fakehoneymoon. #MJxItaly #positano #posivibes," the former Good Morning America personality captioned an August 2016 snap on Instagram. Three months later, Harry confirmed his relationship with Markle in a statement defending her from trolls. Courtesy of Jessica Mulroney/Instagram
When Markle made her first royal appearance at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September 2017, Jessica and her husband provided her a safe place to stay in her home. E! News reported at the time that the Mulroneys welcomed the couple "with warm and open arms" when "it wasn't easy for them to go out in public without the risk of getting spotted." MEGA
"Over the last few years, everything that Meghan has worn … it’s all bought by Jessica as a stylist, and then Meghan wears it afterwards," Amanda Dishaw, editor of royal fashion blog Meghan’s Mirror, told Cosmopolitan in May 2018, referencing Markle's now-iconic Line the Label coat worn by the future duchess when her engagement to Harry was confirmed in November 2017. Courtesy of Jessica Mulroney/Instagram
On the day of Markle's royal wedding, Jessica's twin sons, then 7, arrived with her at St George's Chapel in a black Rolls-Royce and helped carry her Givenchy veil. "Proud friend. Proud mom," the stylist later shared via Instagram. Shutterstock
As the new duchess prepared to go on her first royal tour through Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, the Daily Mail reported that Jessica would be accompanying the royal couple on their journey in an unofficial capacity. Shutterstock(2)
Four months after confirming she was expecting her first child with Harry, Markle threw a lavish baby shower in New York City. Jessica was one of several impressive names on the guest list, including Amal Clooney, Gayle King, Abigail Spencer, Serena Williams and Lindsay Roth. Kristin Callahan/ACE Pictures/Shutterstock; Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
"Listen, every person has to have a bit of privacy in their life," the fashion guru told Harper's Bazaar of her royal friendship in March 2019. "There are certain things I hold very dear and secret. There are things I'll never talk about for sure. My life is an open book, but there’s always a few secret pages in the back that nobody will be able to read." Courtesy of Jessica Mulroney/Instagram
As the Northwestern grad faced intense scrutiny from the British press, Jessica wasn't afraid to stand by her side. "When someone faces unfair criticism, you call it out. When that person is your friend and your family, you call those critics what they truly are. Shame on you, racist bullies," she shared in a quote on her Instagram page in August 2019, noting that Markle had weathered "[three] years of undeserved hate and abuse." Courtesy of Jessica Mulroney/Instagram
Jessica found herself in hot water in June 2020 after influencer Sasha Exeter publicly called her out for apparently displaying "textbook white privilege" within the fashion blogging community. "I want to say from my heart that every word of my apologies to Sasha over the course of the last two weeks privately, and again both publicly and privately today is true," Jessica later said of the scandal. She also brought up her friendship with Markle, noting, "I have lived a very public and personal experience with my closest friend where race was front and centre. It was deeply educational. I learned a lot from that." Broadimage/Shutterstock; Courtesy Sasha Exeter/Instagram
Shortly after Jessica made headlines, she lost her position at Good Morning America and hired a team of crisis PR managers to help her through the scandal. A source later told Us, however, that her friendship with the duchess was on thin ice. "Meghan could not get over that Jessica brought up her relationship with Meghan when she commented about her 'closest friend' in the discourse with Sasha," the insider added in June 2020. A separate source said that their relationship was already "less strong before this drama went down," but that Markle is ready to "distance herself" from Jessica once and for all. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP/Shutterstock; MEGA
Mulroney showed support for Markle in March 2021 after the duchess was accused of bullying former palace aides. “I don’t know that anyone has ever had to deal with the pressure, the politics and the press like this woman,” the wedding stylist wrote via Instagram, alongside a throwback photo of the pals. “In the face of it all, I have never seen her waver from kindness, empathy and love.” Courtesy Jessica Mulroney/Instagram
As Jessica celebrated her 41st birthday in March 2021, she shared a glimpse of a gift sent by her former BFF. "LUCKIEST FRIEND XXXX, THX MM," the stylist wrote via her Instagram Story at the time, showing off a gorgeous bouquet of pink flowers from Meghan. Tim Rooke/Shutterstock; Broadimage/Shutterstock
Social media sleuths were convinced the pair hit another rough patch in June 2021 when Mulroney reposted a quote about losing close friends to her Instagram Story. "Life changes. You lose love. You lose friends. You lose pieces of yourself that you never imagined would be gone," the passage read. "And then, without even realizing it, those pieces come back. New love enters. Better friends come along. And a stronger, wiser you, is staring back in the mirror." Courtesy Jessica Mulroney/Instagram
In never-before-seen footage of Harry’s proposal that aired during the couple’s Netflix docuseries in December 2022, Markle can be seen calling a friend — presumably Mulroney — and excitedly whispering, “Oh, my God, Jess. It's happening. He told me not to peek,” as the prince prepared to get down on one knee. Youtube
Months after finding herself in the center of a scandal, the stylist shared a throwback photo of one of her sons, a pageboy at the May 2018 royal wedding, smiling behind Markle on the big day. "When I feel dark and grey, I see this and it all goes away," she captioned the nostalgic photo in August 2020. "I see this and pure joy." Just three days later, Mulroney deleted the post from her Instagram account. She explained her decision on her Instagram Stories in September 2020: “People often ask why I delete certain posts. The amount of bullying and hatred I’ve had to put up with for 3 years…. I’m tired of looking at it. Be kind. Be gracious. We are grown ups… stop acting like teenagers. Real women don’t put down other women.” ROGER WONG/INSTARimages.com; ANL/Shutterstock
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