It was the shot seen around the world: those twin boys, Brian and John Mulroney, grinning gap-toothed in the back of the royal car as they held Meghan Markle’s five-meter-long silk veil. They looked like something out of a storybook. In 2018, you couldn't mention the Duchess of Sussex without mentioning her right hand, the Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney.
They were basically sisters.
Meghan was the star of Suits, living in Toronto, and Jessica was the well-connected "queen" of the city’s social scene. They bonded over Pilates and expensive wine. When Prince Harry popped the question in a garden in 2017, Meghan didn't call a sibling or a royal advisor first. She FaceTimed "Jess." We actually saw it happen in the Netflix documentary—Meghan squealing with delight while her best friend watched through a screen.
Then, the silence started.
If you look at the landscape of celebrity friendships today, few have crashed as hard or as publicly as Jessica Mulroney and Meghan Markle. One minute they are vacationing in Italy; the next, they are ghosting each other on the world stage. People are still asking: was it a slow drift or a sudden explosion?
The Sasha Exeter Scandal: The Turning Point
Everything changed in June 2020. While the world was reeling from the Black Lives Matter movement, Toronto influencer Sasha Exeter posted a general call to action for influencers to use their platforms. Jessica took it personally.
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She shouldn't have.
According to Exeter, Mulroney sent a series of messages that felt like threats to her livelihood. Exeter called it "textbook white privilege." The fallout was swift. Jessica lost her show, I Do, Redo, her contributor spot on Good Morning America, and her partnership with Hudson’s Bay.
Meghan, who had just moved to California and was building a brand centered on social justice and anti-racism, was suddenly in a corner. How could she remain public best friends with someone accused of "silencing" a Black woman?
Honestly, she couldn't.
Insiders at the time claimed Meghan was "mortified" and felt she could no longer be associated with Jessica. While Jessica tried to save face on Instagram, posting that Meghan was "family" and checked on her every day, the actions told a different story. The birthday shout-outs stopped. The public sightings vanished.
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Where They Stand in 2026
So, where are we now? If you’re looking for a happy reunion, don't hold your breath.
Recent reports from July 2025 and early 2026 confirm that the distance has become a permanent chasm. Jessica Mulroney has faced a brutal couple of years. In late 2025, news broke that she and her husband, Ben Mulroney, had split after 16 years of marriage. Friends noticed she’d stopped wearing her wedding ring and was attending Toronto events solo.
Meghan, meanwhile, has moved on to a completely different circle.
If you watch Meghan’s recent lifestyle projects or her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, the absence is loud. Her inner circle now features names like Abigail Spencer, Kelly McKee Zajfen, and Victoria Jackson. Jessica Mulroney isn't just "not the best friend" anymore—she’s been effectively airbrushed out of the narrative.
Why the Rift is Likely Permanent
- Brand Alignment: Meghan is building a global lifestyle empire. Any association with a "cancelled" figure—even a former best friend—is a liability she likely isn't willing to take.
- The "Tell-All" Fear: There have been whispers for years about Jessica writing a book. Publishers have reportedly offered seven-figure sums for her side of the story. While Jessica has told the Daily Mail she’d "never" spill the beans, the mere possibility keeps a wall between them.
- Geographic Separation: Toronto and Montecito are worlds apart. Without the shared workplace of Suits or the shared goal of navigating the British press, there’s very little "glue" left to hold them together.
It's kinda sad when you think about it. Those kids—the page boys and flower girls—were basically family to Meghan. Now, they are strangers.
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The Lesson for the Rest of Us
This isn't just about two rich women falling out. It’s a case study in how "brand" now trumps "bond" in the digital age. In the high-stakes world of the Sussexes, loyalty is measured by how well you fit into the current mission.
If you want to understand why these two don't talk, you have to look at the optics. Meghan is a Duchess, a producer, and a philanthropist. Jessica is a stylist whose biggest headlines in the last five years involve a racial controversy and a divorce.
The paths just don't cross anymore.
What you should do next:
If you're following the Duchess's new ventures, keep an eye on the credits of her upcoming lifestyle shows. Notice who is styling the sets and the wardrobe. It’s a revolving door of Hollywood's elite, and the "Mulroney era" of sleek Canadian coats and monochromatic dresses is officially over. If you're a fan of Jessica's style, she still shares occasional updates on her personal Instagram, though her "public" life is a shadow of what it was during the royal wedding years.
Focus on the people a celebrity stays friends with during a crisis; that’s where the real story usually hides.