Despite their reported fallout, Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney is standing by Meghan Markle after the Duchess of Sussex was accused of bullying former royal aides. “I don’t know that anyone has ever had to deal with the pressure, the politics and the press like this woman. In the face of it all, I have never seen her waver from kindness, empathy and love,” Jessica wrote underneath a throwback photo of herself dining out with Meghan.
Jessica wrote her defense after Meghan was accused of driving out “two personal assistants out of the household” and “undermining the confidence of a third staff member” in Kensington Palace, according to the allegations that The Times of London reported on Feb. 28. Meghan swiftly shut down these accusations, revealing that she was “saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself” in a statement obtained by HollywoodLife.
Buckingham Palace issued its own statement, saying that it “will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace” and that its HR team “will look into the circumstances outlined in the article.”
Meghan wasn’t left to defend herself, however. Meghan’s former Suits co-star Patrick J. Adams echoed Jessica’s statement, tweeting that “from day one [Meghan] was an enthusiastic, kind, cooperative, giving, joyful and supportive member of our television family” and “remained that person and colleague as fame, prestige and power accrued.” The actor then called out the royal family to “find someone else to admonish, berate and torment.”
In response to allegations of bullying made by palace aides to The Times, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex says: https://t.co/tycXEGInll pic.twitter.com/cEuPHQrpXl
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) March 2, 2021
Meghan and Jessica had grown close after Meghan moved to Jessica’s home base of Toronto in 2011 to film Suits. They were inseparable and Jessica even worked as Meghan’s stylist; the former CTV star also attended Meghan’s 2018 nuptials with Prince Harry and her baby shower in 2019.
However, their friendship reportedly hit a roadblock after Jessica found herself in the middle of a controversy in June of 2020 that led Jessica to withdraw from Good Morning America and lose her CTV show I Do, Redo. Sasha Exeter, a Black fashion influencer based in Toronto, claimed that Jessica “took offense” to a “generic call to action” for fellow social media influencers to use their platforms to amplify the Black Lives Matter movement.
“As I told you privately, 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. I promise to continue to learn and listen on how I can use my privilege to elevate and support Black voices,” Jessica had written on her Instagram Story amid the controversy.
Afterwards, “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,” a source told Us Weekly. “That was hugely offensive to Meghan and the deciding factor for her. Meghan considers the relationship to be done.” However, we can not verify this claim, and it is unclear where Jessica and Meghan currently stand in their friendship.
