Jessica Mulroney is not the only BFF ditched by Meghan Markle...

by · Mail Online

Meghan Markle has become somewhat known for ditching friends... Jessica Mulroney, David and Victoria Beckham and her Suits co-stars to name a few.

The Duchess of Sussex's name has even been used in the Urban Dictionary - an online lexicon of slang - to describe 'abandoning someone or something after they’ve contributed to your life in a meaningful way', with the action cruelly labelled 'Markled'.

Most famously 'Markled' has been her father Thomas, 79, after he sold paparazzi pictures of himself preparing for his daughter's wedding.

Even stylist Jessica Mulroney, Meghan's one-time 'Best Friend Forever', whose children were included in the Sussexes' wedding party, has fallen by the wayside. 

Ever since Jessica became embroiled in a racism row with a social media influencer in 2020, she has not been photographed in public with Meghan.

But she's not the only BFF to have had a rift with the Duchess of Sussex; Prince Harry's wife and her childhood best friend Ninaki Priddy reportedly fell out over Meghan's treatment of her first husband Trevor Engelson. 

Meghan Markle married first husband Trevor Engelson in 2011 in Jamaica (pictured)
Prince Harry's wife and her childhood best friend Ninaki Priddy - who was the Duchess' maid of honour at her first wedding (pictured) - reportedly fell out over Meghan's treatment of her first husband Trevor Engelson

Ninaki was maid of honour at Meghan's first wedding in 2011 in Jamaica, and the two had been inseparable from their first days at Hollywood’s private Little Red School House, when aged two. 

They then moved on together at 11 to the Immaculate Heart girls’ high school in Los Angeles, with their extraordinary sisterly bond eventually spanning 31 years.

But the pair decided to go their separate ways after Ninaki disapproved of the manner of Meghan’s break-up from Trevor. 


READ MORE: Meghan's skiing posse: How the Duchess found a core group of friends in Heather Dorak and Kelly McKee Zajfen following 'Megxit'- and the Sussexes supported the former model after her 9-year-old son's death


The Duchess reportedly began dating dashing celebrity chef Cory Vitiello who also lives in Toronto, in 2014, a few months after her separation from Trevor.

‘I tried to get details from her, but she wouldn’t tell me,' Ninaki told The Daily Mail in 2017. 'What came to light after Trevor and I spoke ended my friendship with Meghan. I think everybody who knew them both was in shock.'

Ninaki explained how she'd chatted to Trevor a month after the divorce in 2013 and insisted he 'would have walked the earth to make their marriage work'. 

Meghan was based in Toronto filming the popular US legal drama Suits, while film producer Trevor lived in LA during their marriage.

‘I don’t believe she gave him enough of an opportunity. I think there was an element of “out of sight, out of mind” for Meghan,' said Ninaki.

‘The way she handled it, Trevor definitely had the rug pulled out from under him. He was hurt.’

Ninaki shared how there was 'Meghan Before Fame and Meghan After Fame', with the then actress 'turning down lunch with us because she said she’d be recognised' after just two seasons of Suits. 

She said: ‘Maybe she had started to change before then, but I was refusing to see it. The tone of her voice, her mannerisms, the way she laughed didn’t seem real to me any more.

'... I felt if I questioned her behaviour, I’d be left on the outside. Sometimes the truth is not always what you want, is it?

Jessica Mulroney and Ivy Mulroney with other members of the wedding party, including Princess Charlotte, alongside her mother, the Princess of Wales, at Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018

‘Her time became increasingly important. When she was in town, she’d want you to drop everything to see her. If I was busy, it would be, “Why don’t you want to see me? I’m here. Let’s hang out!”

‘There were instances when I felt she developed a sense of entitlement because she was on the show.'

She explained how the duo began to chat to one another less and less - and after her chat with Trevor about the divorce, Ninaki tried to talk to Meghan but she 'wouldn’t confide in me'.

'It was obvious to me she wasn’t the friend I’d grown up with any more. She had a new circle of friends.’


READ MORE: Jessica Mulroney says she’s the 'luckiest person in the world' to enjoy a 'girls' night out' with her daughter Ivy, 9, after being 'ditched' by former party pal Meghan Markle


Ninaki added: ‘All I can say now is that I think Meghan was calculated - very calculated - in the way she handled people and relationships.

'She is very strategic in the way she cultivates circles of friends. Once she decides you’re not part of her life, she can be very cold. It’s this shutdown mechanism she has. There’s nothing to negotiate. She’s made her decision and that’s it.'

Recalling her close friendship with the Duchess, Ninaki said it 'was always Niki and Meg. We were so close-knit we came as a two'.

She added: ‘We were both honorary daughters in each other’s homes. We were like family. We had the kind of love you have for a sister. The end of our friendship was like a death.

'I mourned it for quite a while. Even now I’ll pass by a magazine stand and see a face staring out at me that was such a big part of my life.'

Another former BFF of Meghan's is Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney, 43, who met the Duchess of Sussex, 42, on the set of Suits in Toronto.

After Meghan met Prince Harry and moved to the UK, the pair remained extremely close.

However their friendship appeared to cool in 2020 when Jessica was caught up in a  social media storm in which she was accused of demonstrating 'white privilege' in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement - and they haven't been seen together since.

Lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter called out Jessica Mulroney, who 'took offence' to a 'generic call to action' post Sasha had shared about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Jessica and Meghan (pictured in Toronto in 2015), who met on the set of Suits where Jessica worked as a stylist, were once regular partygoers and frequented the Toronto nightlife scene

In a follow-up video, Sasha said: 'What happened next was a series of very problematic behaviour and antics [...]

'I'm by no means calling Jess a racist but what I will say is this: She is very well aware of her wealth, perceived power and privilege because of the colour of her skin and that, my friends, gave her the momentary confidence to come for my livelihood in writing. Textbook white privilege really, in my personal opinion.'

Following the blogger's claims, Jessica issued three public apologies, however she still faced consequences and was dropped by numerous television networks.

DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that ABC severed ties with her, confirming that Jessica would not be returning to her occasional role as a fashion contributor on Good Morning America.

Canadian TV network CTV also cut off ties with the stylist, revealing that it would be pulling all episodes of her wedding-themed reality TV show I Do Redo from its platform.

Despite their close relationship, insiders claimed that the Duchess had permanently cut ties with Jessica after she became embroiled in a race row with the influencer. 

An insider told Page Six that the duo's relationship was already on the rocks because Meghan felt that Jessica was trying to 'make a career out of the friendship.'

'The white privilege row has really given Meghan the excuse she was waiting for to cut Jess off for good,' the source said. 'I don't know what the tipping point was, but Jess has been on the outs for some time.'

In September 2020, Jessica addressed the rumours of rift between her and the Duchess of Sussex.

She wrote on her Instagram Stories: 'I’m going to tell this once and for all. Meghan and I are family. She is the kindest friend and has checked up on me everyday.'

Six months later, Jessica shared a pic in an Instagram Story of the flowers she received from Meghan on her 41st birthday, on which she wrote: ‘LUCKIEST FRIEND XXXX, THX MM.’

However, the following year it became increasingly clear to fans that Meghan and Jessica's friendship had soured. 

In June 2021, the mother-of-three posted a cryptic quote on her Instagram Story, which read: ‘Life changes. You lose love. You lose friends. You lose pieces of yourself that you never imagined would be gone. 

'And then, without even realizing it, those pieces come back. New love enters. Better friends come along. And a stronger, wiser you, is staring back in the mirror.’ 

The following year, Jessica posted a picture of a sign reading: 'You are not too sensitive. Your are not overreacting. If it hurts you it hurts you.'

She captioned the post: 'I wish I had a seen this a long time ago. I hope it makes a difference in your day too.'

Since then, Jessica has continued to post cryptic messages on social media, including a post telling followers her 'detachment game is strong'.