Jessica Mulroney ‘concerned’ after Meghan Markle ‘failed to reach out on her daughter’s birthday’ as Duchess cuts ties
JESSICA Mulroney grew “concerned” her long-time friendship with Meghan Markle was officially over when she didn’t reach out on her daughter’s birthday, a source close to the situation has exclusively told The Sun.
The under-fire stylist, who is yet to be seen in public after being accused of “textbook white privilege” by black influencer Sasha Exeter, celebrated her youngest child Ivy’s seventh birthday on June 12 – with paparazzi photographs a day later showing the outside of their Toronto home decorated with pink balloons.
The insider says she never received a text or phone call from Meghan on Ivy’s big day, despite her being a bridesmaid at her wedding to Harry, while Jess’ twins Brian and John were also page boys.
The source said: “They had barely spoken and Jess agreed her husband Ben could confiscate her phone because she needed a break away from technology.
“She was then really concerned when she didn’t hear anything from Meghan on Ivy’s birthday and is worried the friendship is now over for good, she’s been very upset about this whole situation.
“Meghan obviously can’t be seen in public with her, she needs to cool it for now, but it will be surprising if she doesn’t get back in touch because Jess knows a lot.”
Jessica, 40, allegedly “took offense” to a generic call-to-action from Sasha amid the Black Lives Matter protests, feeling it was aimed at her for staying silent on social media, and began a heated exchange.
The stylist denied the claims and publicly apologized, saying it was merely a “disagreement” and she was going to learn from the experience, but later sent a direct message to Sasha which read: “Liable suit. Good luck [sic].”
Jess then apologized a second time and told followers she would be handing over control of her Instagram to the black community, although there has been activity since June 11.
Reports suggest Jess is planning a comeback after losing her TV and fashion deals, including her CTV show I Do, Redo, and has hired a crisis team of PRs and image experts in a desperate attempt to rebuild her reputation.
The informant said: “She’s going to try and prove herself, I understand, but that is absolutely the wrong thing to do.
“It’s not the moment for that, with everything going on in the world, nobody cares about your social media, she’s a little bit addicted to it.
“She’s constantly on her phone, she’d reply to all of the negative comments on her Instagram, she would engage with people and then she’d delete her responses, we saw this over and over again.
“She needs to lay low and just be a mom for a while, hope people start to forget about this.”
Meghan, 38, is allegedly “mortified” by the situation and feels the way her former pal handled it was “tone-deaf and heartbreaking,” according to the Daily Mail.
Jessica’s husband Ben, whose father Brian is the former Prime Minister of Canada, has stepped down from his co-hosting spot on CTV’s entertainment show ‘etalk,’ to make room for “diverse voices.”
The TV personality insisted he loved his wife, but would not speak for her, and wanted to see someone of color take his role – although he will still attend red carpet events such as the Oscars for ‘etalk.’
The Sun’s source claims Ben, 44, tried to stop the network from canceling his wife’s show, and planned to walk himself if they pulled the plug, before deciding to stay on to host Your Morning.
Asked if the scandal has caused friction between Jess and her husband’s family, the insider said: “Yes, definitely. I know even before there’s been a lot of chatter about that.
“There has been obvious tension between Jess and her sister-in-law Vanessa for a while. And this is just not how an established family wants to be seen.”
Jessica has also decided to step away from the charity she founded with her sisters-in-law, Vanessa, Katy and Caroline who are married to Ben’s brothers.
The Shoebox Project for women announced her departure from its board of directors in a statement posted on its Instagram account last week.
“Jessica Mulroney is a founding member of The Shoebox Project and she has dedicated herself to its growth and success over the years, for which we are very grateful,” the statement shared last Wednesday states.
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“In light of recent events, the charity supports Jessica’s decision to step away from the Board of Directors.”
The organization collects and distributes shoeboxes filled with essential items for homeless and at-risk women living in shelters throughout North America.
The Sun has reached out to the Mulroneys, Meghan’s rep and CTV for comment.
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