Last week, fans of Meghan Markle’s were stunned by the news that her best friend Jessica Mulroney had been fired from her role on a Canadian reality show amid reports of racially insensitive behavior.
The allegations were particularly shocking, as Meghan has devoted much of her life to combatting racial injustice, and many now feel that she’s had a bigot in her midst for several years.
In case you missed it, a well-known influencer named Sasha Exeter called Jessica out for her problematic behavior in a recent Instagram post.
It all started when Exeter posted about the failure of certain public figures to speak out in support of recent Black Lives Matter protests.
Sasha says Jessica “wrongly assumed that my generic call to action on my Instagram stories was a direct and blatant callout to her.”
This led to Mulroney going on the offensive and threatening Exeter with dire professional consequences.
“I was blocked from her Instagram account,” said Exeter of what happened afterward.
“And [I was sent] a trail of offensive messages that ended in her saying, ‘I have also spoken to companies and people about the way you treated me unfairly. You think your voice matters,’" Sasha recalled.
"Well it only matters if you express it with kindness and without shaming people who are simply trying to learn. Good luck.’"
Exeter understandably felt that Mulroney — the wife of a former Canadian prime minister’s son — had the intention and ability to ruin her career.
"That’s a threat to my livelihood. For her to threaten me, a single mom, a single Black mom, during a racial pandemic, blows my mind. It is absolutely unbelievable," Exeter said.
Jessica faced immediate consequences, including the loss of her CTV wedding reality show I Do Redo.
She apologized in a comment on Exeter’s page, but she also dragged Meghan into the situation in a way that some fund troubling.
"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."
Meghan has not spoken publicly on the matter, and she’ll likely continue to keep mum,
But insiders close to the Duchess say she was horrified by Jessica’s behavior.
"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 (with the fashion influencer) was tone-deaf and heartbreaking," says an informant identified as a close friend of Meghan’s.
"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. She has to do what she has to do in order to preserve her dignity and her own reputation."
The insider added that they "wouldn’t be surprised" if this marked the "beginning of the end of their friendship."
The source points out that even if Meghan wished to assist her friend, there’s very little that she could do.
"It’s not like Meghan can just call up ABC and defend Jessica,’ the source says, referring to Mulorney’s occasional correspondent work with Good Morning America.
Meghan addressed the George Floyd killing and the subsequent protests in a statement that was both poignant and well-timed, and it seems she wishes Jessica had been as thoughtful in her response.
"There was a reason Meghan waited to so long to make a statement," the insider says.
"She wanted to get it right. She said she urged Jessica to do the same thing from the get-go."
It sounds like the best thing Mulroney can do now is take some time to listen and learn.
And we’re sure Meghan will be happy to help her friend with her education.
