MEGHAN Markle’s voice was notably absent when her best friend Jessica Mulroney was the centre of a race row, despite previously saying the only wrong thing is ‘to say nothing’.
Jessica and the Duchess of Sussex met while the former actress was filming Suits, and while the 41-year-old was already well-known she catapulted into the spotlight when Meghan began dating Prince Harry.
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The mum-of-three attended the 39-year-old’s highly publicised baby shower and wedding, but after landing a series of glittering roles her career nosedived when she was embroiled in a racism row last year.
Jessica, a Canadian fashion stylist, was accused of ‘bullying’ and using ‘white privilege’ to threaten Sasha Exeter, a black social media influencer, Mail on Sunday reported.
A publicised spat ensued, with both women sharing social media posts, with Jessica later issuing a public apology, before being dropped by numerous brands.
During the fall-out, her best friend Meghan remained tight-lipped over the situation, despite Jessica saying she had lived a ‘very public and personal experience with my closest friend where race was front and centre’.
Pregnant Meghan previously claimed that the worst thing to do is ‘say nothing’, when discussing the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of George Floyd.
Meghan said: “George Floyd’s life mattered and Breonna Taylor’s life mattered and Philando Castile’s life mattered and Tamir Rice’s life mattered… and so did so many other people whose names we know and whose names we do not know.”
She added: “I wasn’t sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that it would get picked apart.
“And I realised the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing.”
Meghan referred to a teacher from the school, who she says gave her the courage to speak out.
She said: “I was thinking about this moment when I was a sophomore, I was 15… it’s the year we do volunteer work.
“And I remember one teachers, Ms Pollia, said to me, ‘always remember to put other’s needs above your own fears’.
“That has stuck with me throughout my entire life and I have thought about it more in the last week than ever before.”
The row between Jessica and Sasha is said to have ignited when the mum-of-one shared a call to arms online for bloggers and influencers to use their platforms to advance the Black Lives Matter movement.
Toronto-based Sasha said she was surprised by the fashion stylist’s perceived silence on the issue considering Meghan is “arguably one of the most famous black women in the world.”
Jessica then responded by saying she “had spoken to companies” about the way the influencer had “unfairly” treated her – a remark which Sasha’s saw as a “threat” to her livelihood.
Following a public apology from Jessica, Sasha has claimed the TV personality threatened her “behind closed doors” with a lawsuit.
Jessica wrote: “I am unequivocally sorry for not doing that with you, and for any hurt I 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.
“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.”
But Sasha shared a screenshot of a private message from the stylist, which read: “Liable suit. Good luck,” misspelling the word libel.
Sasha added: “I don’t know what’s worse here – her using her perceived power to try and threaten my livelihood or using her resources to basically shut me up.
“But whatever the case she’s not going to shut me up.”
Jessica was dropped from her job on bridal show ‘I Do, Redo’ with bosses at Canada’s CTV saying her comments clashed with their “commitment to diversity and equality.”
And she also lost her slot as a guest fashion expert on Cityline and ABC’s Good Morning America.
Jessica stepped from social media for a while, with the Mail reporting Meghan was ‘mortified’, but the pair remained close.
And a few months later Jessica shared a post on Instagram addressing rumours about their friendship, saying Meghan had ‘checked up on her everyday’, adding ‘I’m going to tell this once and for all. Meghan is family’.
While another post, shared before the Oprah interview, Jessica said she’d never seen her friend waver from ‘kindness, empathy and love’.
Meanwhile the Queen’s aide says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s behaviour is ‘verging on treasonous’.
Plus palace staff have ‘harrowing stories’ about Meghan Markle amid bullying claims, royal insider says.
And Buckingham Palace to bring in ‘independent investigators to launch Meghan Markle bullying probe’.
