Meghan Markle’s ex-BFF Jessica Mulroney regrets friendship with ‘dark cloud’ duchess amid her divorce
TORONTO, ONTARIO: Jessica Mulroney’s 16-year marriage to Ben Mulroney has ended in heartbreak, and insiders claim she partly blames her once-close friendship with Meghan Markle for the downfall.
The Canadian stylist, 45, reportedly believes the “exposure” she received as the duchess’ bridesmaid and confidante led to the public scandal that torpedoed both her career and personal life.
Sources say she is “deeply upset” after Ben, 49, walked away, with news of their separation quietly circulating for months within Toronto’s social circles. Lawyers are now involved.
Jessica Mulroney blames royal wedding exposure for fallout and failed marriage
Jessica Mulroney allegedly views Meghan's 2018 royal wedding, where she served as chief bridesmaid, as the moment things began to unravel. “If she could go back, a part of her wishes she was never part of that wedding,” a source told Daily Mail.
“While she enjoyed all the exposure it brought her at the time, that same exposure is what caused her social media rift to blow up in the way it did and led to the end of her friendship with Meghan and her marriage.”
The stylist, once considered Meghan’s “best friend,” now sees that period as a “dark cloud,” the insider claimed.
Despite Ben’s public support at the height of the storm, insiders say the scandal eventually “caused tensions… in her marriage.” Mulroney reportedly broke the news of their split to friends at a Toronto wedding last month, where she attended alone, without her wedding ring. Page Six confirmed they had separated “some time ago.”
On Instagram, Mulroney—once known for posting “scenes of domestic perfection”—has shared cryptic messages and a somber black-and-white portrait hinting at new beginnings.
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Ben’s last public mention of his wife was in 2023, a stark contrast to his once-gushing tributes like, “Jessie, you are my everything… now that I have you, I am never letting you go.”
How a racism controversy shattered Meghan Markle-Jessica Mulroney’s friendship
Jessica Mulroney and Meghan became estranged in 2020 after influencer Sasha Exeter accused Mulroney of racism, alleging she threatened her career during a private dispute. She publicly apologized, saying, “I need to acknowledge and understand [Exeter’s experience]... I am unequivocally sorry for not doing that with you.”
She was then dropped by TV networks and brands, prompting Ben Mulroney to quit his hosting job to support her.
The friendship with Meghan, 43, fizzled, with Mulroney later admitting to “losing friends” over the fallout. “She did consider Meghan family,” but the duchess “seemingly dropped” her amid the controversy, a source said.
Neither Mulroney nor Meghan have commented on the breakup. Sources say Meghan “no longer sees or speaks” to her former maid of honor, who allegedly now regrets ever becoming friends with the duchess.
