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Meghan Markle 'mortified' by best friend's 'tone-deaf' threats to sue Black influencer

Meghan Markle is reportedly "absolutely mortified" with best friend Jessica Mulroney's threats to sue Black influencer Sasha Exeter.

It comes after Jessica took offence to a call to action Sasha made about white influencers using their platforms for good as the Black Lives Matter protests continue across the globe. A public fight quickly ensued.

Meghan Markle with best friend Jessica Mulroney
Meghan Markle is reportedly "absolutely mortified" with best friend Jessica Mulroney's threats to sue Black influencer Sasha Exeter. Photo: Getty

According to Daily Mail, friends of the Duchess of Sussex have revealed Meghan can "no longer be associated" with Jessica.

"Meghan is absolutely mortified that she's been dragged into this complete mess. She said Jessica is in no way a racist, but the way she handled the situation (with the fashion influencer) was tone-deaf and heartbreaking," a friend revealed.

Jessica has since been fired from ABC's Good Morning America and her reality TV show was cancelled after she threatened to sue Sasha following a fight they had on Instagram about racism.

When Sasha publicly revealed the pair had been involved in a war of words behind the scenes, Jessica threatened to contact companies that the influencer worked with, seemingly threatening her livelihood.

Sasha told her followers that she didn't believe Jessica was racist, however, "she is acutely aware of her white privilege".

"For her to threaten me? A single mother, a single black mother, during a racial pandemic? Blows my mind, it is absolutely unbelievable," Sasha said.

When Sasha took this information publicly, Jessica shared an apology on her Instagram page for everyone to see, however, she also sent Sasha a private message threatening her with a lawsuit.

Jessica's public apology on Sasha's page made mention of Meghan, however, she did not name her friend, instead writing, "As I told you privately, I have lived a very public and personal experience with my closest friend where race was front and centre.

"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."

The friends told Daily Mail, "Meghan said friends reflect friends and because of what's at stake she can no longer be associated with Jessica, at least not in public. She has to do what she has to do in order to preserve her dignity and her own reputation."

Sasha Exeter shows Jessica Mulroney threatened to sue her.
Sasha shared a screenshot after Jessica's public apology on her page showing that she had threatened to sue her. Photo: Instagram/Sasha Exeter

The fight between Jessica and Sasha has brought a lot of embarrassment to Meghan who promotes social good and is a life-long racial equality activist.

The insider added it wouldn't be surprising if this marked the "beginning of the end of their friendship".

Meghan recently shared a statement about the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd, but notably took her time to get it right.

During her statement she said, "I wasn't sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that I wouldn't or that it would get picked apart. And I realised the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing."

The source continued, "There was a reason Meghan waited so long to make a statement. She wanted to get it right. She said she urged Jessica to do the same thing from the get-go."

Jessica has since issued a statement to her Instagram page saying she is genuinely remorseful.

"She rightfully called me out for not doing enough when it came to engaging in the important and difficult conversation around race and injustice in our society.

"I took it personally and that was wrong. I need to do better. I did not intend in any way to jeopardize her livelihood. We had a disagreement and it got out of hand.

"For that I am sorry. I'm going to be stepping back from social media in the coming days and giving my microphone to Black voices by having them take over my account.

"I have also asked Sasha if she would be willing to take over my account whenever she is comfortable and tell her story," she said.

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