Harry & Meghan official trailer 2. Video / Netflix
Meghan Markle’s former best friend, Jessica Mulroney, has addressed the royal couple’s controversial Netflix documentary for the first time since it aired last month.
The celebrity stylist, 40, was conspicuously absent from Harry & Meghan, which featured numerous interviews with members of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s inner circle,despite being featured in a flashback video shot on the night Harry proposed.
While Mulroney was Meghan’s closest friend for years and a key figure throughout the planning and on the day of the royal wedding, there was also no mention of her in Harry’s memoir, Spare.
Addressing the Netflix docuseries for the first time, the Toronto-based star took to Instagram to post a black-and-white picture from the May 2018 nuptials, featuring herself, Suits actress Abigail Spencer, and two other friends, with the comments feature disabled.
The image had been used in the documentary, with part of the streaming giant’s logo visible in the right-hand corner.
In one scene in Harry & Meghan, it’s thought Mulroney was the “Jess” who received a call from Meghan as she awaited a proposal from Harry in 2017.
Phone footage shows Meghan excitedly whispering to her friend over the phone as she spotted Harry setting up the proposal within the gardens of Kensington Palace.
“Oh my god, Jess, it’s happening. He told me not to peek,” she told her friend.
A clip of Harry down on one knee and surrounded by candles on the grass was then shown in the series.
The footage highlights the closeness Meghan once shared with Mulroney – who is reportedly even her son Archie’s godmother – but it appears to be a far cry from the situation now.
It’s been widely reported that their relationship soured following Mulroney’s “white-privilege” scandal in 2020, where the stylist was axed from both her TV gigs following her racially charged spat with black lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter.
It was reported at the time that Meghan reacted with shock after hearing of the Canadian stylist’s “tone deaf” threats to sue Exeter, and swiftly decided she can “no longer be associated with her”.
“Meghan is absolutely mortified that she’s been dragged into this complete mess. She said Jessica is in no way a racist, but the way she handled the situation was tone deaf and heartbreaking,” a friend of Meghan’s told the Daily Mail.
Meghan Markle and Jessica Mulroney attend the Instagram Dinner in Toronto, Canada, in 2016. Photo / Getty Images
The two women had been close friends for years since meeting in Canada, where Mulroney had introduced Meghan – who was then based in Toronto while filming Suits – to the city’s glittering social scene.
In 2020, Exeter publicly blasted Mulroney in an emotional 12-minute Instagram video, describing how she had threatened her during an argument about “speaking up” against racism and had left her feeling “paralysed in fear”.
Exeter claimed that Mulroney – who is married to Ben Mulroney, son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney – had “taken offence to a very generic call to action” posted online, causing the women to engage in an argument about racism and white privilege.
Exeter then claimed that Mulroney had sent her a series of offensive messages, which ended with a threat to her livelihood.
Mulroney herself commented on the video to apologise, and alluded to her friendship with Meghan, who has been at the centre of racist attacks since she began dating Prince Harry in 2016.
“I am unequivocally sorry for not doing that with you and for any hurt I’ve caused. 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.
“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.”
However, Exeter then shared a screenshot on her Instagram story of a private message sent by Mulroney shortly after her public apology, which appeared to confirm her intent to sue for “liable” (sic).
Mulroney was subsequently dropped from featuring as an expert on a daytime lifestyle show.
Shortly afterwards, Canadian department store Hudson’s Bay also revealed she would no longer represent the brand as a fashion and bridal specialist.
It was later reported that the Duchess of Sussex’s friendship with Mulroney was already on the rocks prior to the stylist’s “white privilege” conflict.
According to Page Six, the Duchess of Sussex had “increasingly” felt that Mulroney had “benefited” from her position as a royal confidante – and the scandal had “given Meghan the excuse she was waiting for to cut Jess off for good”.
Mulroney’s role as Meghan’s best friend and stylist undeniably opened doors. After she and her three young children appeared in the royal wedding, she landed a contributor role on Good Morning America as well as her own reality show, I Do, Redo.
“I don’t know what the tipping point was, but Jess has been on the outs for some time,” a source told the publication.
“Their friendship is definitely not what it was. And really, how can you have such a close friendship when one person is basically making a career out of the friendship?”
