Meghan Markle ‘mortified’ by friend Jessica Mulroney’s feud with Black blogger over protests: Report
The Duchess of Sussex is reportedly questioning her friendship with the Canadian stylist
Meghan Markle is reportedly “mortified” and questioning her friendship with Jessica Mulroney after the Canadian stylist and television personality’s feud with a Black lifestyle blogger spilled into the public eye.
“Meghan is absolutely mortified that she’s been dragged into this complete mess,” a close friend of Markle’s told The Daily Mail. “She said Jessica is in no way a racist, but the way she handled the situation (with the fashion influencer) was tone-deaf and heartbreaking.”
The outlet did not disclose the identity of the source.
The report comes amid a beef between Mulroney and writer Sasha Exeter over white privilege in the wake of nationwide protests and civil unrest against systemic racism that has captured the attention of the world.
The fallout from the conflict led to Mulroney’s release from ABC‘s “Good Morning America,” where she served as a fashion consultant for the morning show. Her CTV show “I Do, Redo,” has also been pulled.
As Jessica Mulroney said last night, she is stepping away from her professional engagements and that includes Good Morning America. She will no longer appear on our show.
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 12, 2020
READ MORE: Meghan Markle speaks out against racial divisions in U.S.
Mulroney is said to have been behind the wedding planning for Markle’s royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Jessica Mulroney, Ivy Mulroney, Florence van Cutsem, Zoe Warren, Zalie Warren, Benita Litt, Remy Litt and Rylan Litt arrive at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. (Photo by DJane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Mulroney allegedly threatened legal action against Exeter, who sought to raise awareness about the movement for Black lives.
“Meghan said friends reflect friends and because of what’s at stake she can no longer be associated with Jessica, at least not in public,” the British outlet reports the source said. “She has to do what she has to do in order to preserve her dignity and her own reputation.”
In a roughly 12-minute video posted to her Instagram page, Exeter claimed that Mulroney “took offense” to her “generic” call-to-action in response to the ongoing demonstrations against police violence and the racial inequity harming Black America.
In the Instagram post, Exeter referred to it as “MY ‘AMY COOPER’ EXPERIENCE,” referencing the white woman who called the cops on a Black birdwatcher in New York City’s Central Park last month for no reason.
Exeter, a former athlete who heads up SoSasha, labeled Mulroney’s reaction “textbook white privilege.”
“What happened next was a series of very problematic behavior and antics that ultimately resulted in [Mulroney] sending me a threat in writing last Wednesday,” she explained.
“Listen, I am by no means calling Jess a racist but what I will say is this, she is very well aware of her wealth, her perceived power and privilege because of the color of her skin,” she continued.
READ MORE: Tennessee ‘Karen’ who blocked Black women from residential pool is on disciplinary leave
“For her to threaten me ― a single mom, a single black mom — during a racial pandemic blows my mind,” Exeter added. “The goal here is genuine, transformative change ― not optical and performative bulls–t. You cannot be posting that you stand in solidarity while attempting to silence somebody via text.”
After the public apology, Exeter shared a screenshot of a direct message that she received from Mulroney, which contained the threat of a lawsuit.
Mulroney issued a public apology publicly to Exeter on the Instagram post, in which she said that her friendship with the Duchess of Sussex was “deeply educational.”
“I learned a lot from that,” Mulroney said. “I promise to continue to learn and listen on how I can use my privilege to elevate and support Black voices.”
Despite the Wednesday apology, Exeter on Thursday shared a screenshot of a direct message from Mulroney threatening a lawsuit, saying “Liable (sic) suit. Good luck.”
Credit: Sasha Exeter/Instagram
“After her public apology on my post yesterday, I received this via DM,” Exeter wrote in the post to her story, adding “poor thing didn’t even spell ‘libel’ correctly.”
That triggered one more response from Mulroney later that day, who said she has “no intention of pursuing any legal action,” adding that “I was wrong, and for that I am truly sorry.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
