Why does everyone betray Meghan?
After ending a close friendship, psychological therapist Emma Kenny reveals why Meghan Markle’s fame goes hand in hand with mistrust
It’s been a tough week for Meghan Markle, as she was once again the target of negative headlines. This time, it involved her friendship with a Canadian socialite. The biracial duchess has reportedly ended her ten-year friendship with her “closest ally”, Jessica Mulroney, after the stylist caused a storm by allegedly sending threatening messages to a black social media influencer in a dispute about white privilege amid the Black Lives Matter movement.
And what’s more, Meghan and Harry – who are isolating in LA with their son Archie, one – were dealt another blow when their application to trademark their new charitable organisation Archewell was reportedly rejected as they hadn’t signed the document or paid the fees.
But it’s likely that a fallout with another close friend would have been harder to cope with.
HORRIFIED
Meghan was said to have been “horrified” when Jessica – who was bridesmaid at
Meghan and Prince Harry’s 2018 wedding – was accused of using her wealth and privilege to silence Sasha Exeter after she urged white influencers to use their platforms to speak out on racial inequality.
Despite Jessica, 40, insisting she was “unequivocally sorry” after being sacked as a stylist on Canadian network CTV – adding that Meghan had “deeply educated” her about her race – Meghan, 38, allegedly decided to end their friendship, as she’d already become suspicious that Jessica was using her and “making a career out of” being her pal.
But Closer’s psychological therapist Emma Kenny reveals that not being able to trust those closest to you is part and parcel of being one of the most famous people in the world.
She says, “When you are at that level of fame – where you feel that everyone wants a piece of you – you
never know who genuinely has your back, or who is using your friendship for their own benefit. That’s when suspicion creeps in, making it hard for those friendships to really thrive. Meghan has to prioritise the most important relationships in her life, which is Harry and their son, Archie.
“She must be hyper aware of the massive sacrifices Harry has made – like leaving the UK for America – so when people cause issues and negativity for their family, she will feel let down and insist on cutting out anyone who can’t be fully trusted.”
It isn’t the first time Meghan has cut ties with people she believes may have betrayed her.
After she began dating Prince Harry, 35, in 2016, a group of her former pals revealed they’d fallen victim to her “cut-throat” friendship cull, amid reports she was “finding it hard to trust people” due to negative reports about her.
SUSPICIOUS
Her own father, Thomas
Markle, has given interviews criticising his daughter and insists “she owes me for what
I’ve been through”, while her equally vocal half-sister Samantha, 55, is even said to be penning a damning tell-all book about her.
It seems many of her former friends are willing to speak out. Ninaki Priddy – who was maid of honor at her first wedding to film producer Trevor Engelson, 43, in 2011 – called Meghan “cold and calculated” for dumping friends.
Even Piers Morgan – who struck up a friendship with the then-Hollywood actress in 2015 – labelled Meghan a “social climber” after ghosting him when she met Harry.
And her sensitivity over being betrayed by her loved ones also allegedly sparked a fallout between her and Victoria Beckham earlier this year, amid untrue accusations the designer, 46, had been leaking stories about her. They have since repaired things.
Emma explains that, while
Meghan was once a social butterfly, she has been forced to trim her network because of past betrayals. “Both Harry and Meghan are very sensitive people, so any pain they’ve had inflicted on them by someone cuts them so deep that they’re unable to forgive and forget,” she says.
“There are numerous reasons why she is betrayed so much. Her dad, to some degree, started with all these interviews as a way to try to connect with his daughter, but after she ignored him because she was so upset, he dealt with his pain by lashing out at her. Others, like her school friends, think, ‘I remember you from way back when.’ They see the wealth and status Meghan has now, and, especially as contact may have dropped between them as she’s so busy, those friends can feel envious and that she owes them.
“It’s sad to say that she is seen as a ‘cash cow’, but even her dad said ‘she owes me’ and sadly, that is how she will feel too. She will be suspicious that, if those people who she should have complete faith in, such as a parent, can betray her, then anyone can.”
However, Emma says their feelings of being alienated from their wider circle will further strengthen their marriage.
She adds, “You can see there’s a lot of interdependency between them – they built their lives around common interests and their biggest bond will be their family. This will force them to really appreciate and trust one another, and that in turn will make their relationship thrive.”
BUILDING BRIDGES
And in an unexpected twist, it seems the Sussexes could be set to heal their rift with Prince William and Kate.
An insider has revealed that Harry – who has openly spoken about his battles with mental health – was said to be missing the UK, so brother William, 37, had been checking in on him with “regular and casual Zoom calls”. The brothers’ relationship was reportedly strained before Harry left the UK, and he admitted they were “going down different paths”.
Emma says, “What we will likely see now is that, although Meghan and Harry will keep their inner circle small, it’s likely it will bond William and Harry again as they are both in a similar situation. Despite recent differences, they know they can really trust one another.”
❛ YOU NEVER KNOW WHO GENUINELY HAS YOUR BACK OR WHO IS USING YOU ❜