Meghan Markle’s ex-BFF Jessica Mulroney ‘splits from her husband after 16 years of marriage’

Jessica Mulroney has split from her husband after 16 years of marriage, it was reported last night. 

The Canadian stylist – who was once known to be a close friend of Meghan Markle – has parted ways with her husband Ben, according to sources in PageSix. 

The couple share three children – twins Brian and John, 14, and daughter Ivy, 12 – and were said to have separated ‘some time ago’, according to the news outlet. 

On Instagram, Jessica, 45, has been pictured without her wedding ring in recent weeks and is said to have broken the news to friends while attending a wedding last month – notably without her husband, 49. 

A source told PageSix: ‘They’re split. Jessica seemed sad, but also relieved to have some clarity.’ 

Another insider added that they split ‘some time ago’. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Jessica for comment.  

Jessica last posted her husband in March in a gushing birthday tribute, writing: ‘Happy belated Birthday Benny! Hope all your wishes come true as well as Bruce Wayne’s dream to try my cheesecake. Xx.’ 

As for Ben, he still describes himself as a ‘husband’ in his profile on Instagram, which reads: ‘Husband, father, eater of cereal.’ In addition, on Jessica’s Facebook profile, it still reads as ‘married to Ben Mulroney’. 

Ben is the eldest son of Brian Mulroney, the former Prime Minister of Canada. He is himself a TV presenter and radio host, with a career at Canadian network CTV spanning 20 years. 

He also hosted Canadian Idol from 2003 to 2008 and Canadian national show Your Morning.  

In November last year, in one of their final posts together, Jessica admitted they had ‘forgotten’ their anniversary. 

Posting a slew of loved-up snaps, she wrote: ‘Ok so our wedding anniversary was a slight oversight this year (ie… we forgot). But the love all year round makes up for it. Which reminds me, how many years has it been? I feel lucky everyday so what’s a number?’

The couple met when they were 17 and 14, when Jessica went to a nearby school to his brother. Ben told PostCity previously: ‘I had never seen a more beautiful girl.’

Their first date wasn’t until years later, when Ben visited Montreal on a break from Canadian Idol and they went for sushi and karaoke, with Ben belting out Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York. 

‘I knew about halfway through the date that we would eventually get married,’ Ben gushed. 

They married in 2008 in St. Patrick’s Basilica in Montreal, honeymooning in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. 

In 2018, the couple attended Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. 

Their children, twins John and Brian, then seven, had the honor of carrying Meghan’s train of her dress down the aisle, while Ivy, then two, was a bridesmaid at the wedding. 

But appears Jessica won’t have one of the closest members of her inner circle as a shoulder to cry on, as her friendship with the Duchess of Sussex appears to have cooled off in recent years. 

Meghan – who herself has been curating a social media presence since January -hasn’t been seen in public with Jessica in five years. 

The stylist hasn’t featured in any of her TV shows or podcasts and they do not follow each other on social media. 

It’s a far cry from the heyday of their friendship – as Jessica was once on FaceTime to her best friend as Prince Harry popped the question and stole the show on the big day as she posed on the steps of St George’s Chapel alongside Kate Middleton.

The rift in the friendship can be traced back to 2020 when Jessica was involved in a ‘white privilege’ row with influencer Sasha Exeter.

She was swiftly dropped from her styling slot on Good Morning America – and apparently by Meghan too in the wake of the controversy. 

Despite their close relationship, insiders claimed that the Duchess had permanently cut ties with Jessica in 2020, after she became embroiled in a ‘feud’ with influencer Sasha Exeter.

The clash, which occurred in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of George Floyd, saw Jessica ‘take offence’ to a ‘generic call to action’ post Sasha had shared about the movement. 

According to Sasha, she and Jessica then argued about the importance of ‘speaking up’.

Sasha said she felt Jessica ‘threatened’ her during the argument, claiming the mother-of-three had written to her: ‘I have also spoken to companies and people about the way you have treated me unfairly. You think your voice matters. Well it only matters if you express it with kindness and without shaming people who are simply trying to learn. Good luck.’ 

In a follow-up video, Sasha, also from Toronto, 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.’ 

In a comment posted on the video clip, Jessica said she was ‘unequivocally sorry’, 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. It was deeply educational.’ 

Shortly after posting the clip about Jessica, Sasha claimed she had been targeted by trolls who were sending her death threats. 

Sharing an video to her Instagram stories in her dressing gown, Sasha said: ‘I’ve been up since 4am responding to trolls.

‘I was totally prepared to be bullied and I knew I was opening myself up to being criticized by people who don’t really understand why I did what I did, but let me make clear that any threats to my personal safety will not be tolerated.’

Jessica issued further public apologies but was dropped by a number of television networks, including Good Morning America. 

Following the backlash, sources claimed that Meghan had permanently cut ties with her former BFF. 

It may have been the final straw for the Duchess, as an insider told Page Six that the duo’s relationship was already on the rocks because Meghan felt 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.’

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. 

Jessica also also stepped down from the board of directors of The Shoebox Project, the charity she co-founded a decade ago to ‘provide gifts to women living in shelters or accessing community support,’ according to public records.

‘In light of recent events, the charity supports Jessica’s decision to step away from the Board of Directors,’ read a statement from the organization at the time. 

Jessica took a two-month break from social media – but six months after the scandal, she shared what were understood to be DMs and text messages between herself and Sasha that the National Post’s columnist Barbara Kay called ‘a complete exoneration of Jessica from all the false allegations of racist bullying.’ 

Kay concluded that Jessica ‘is innocent of the moral crimes she has been so unjustly charged with’. 

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

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 photo of the flowers she received from Meghan on her 41st birthday, on which she wrote: ‘LUCKIEST FRIEND XXXX, THX MM.’ 

The following year however, it became increasingly evident that their 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. 

Two months later, she told her followers: ‘It can be lonely having the world, friends distance from you and not even ask how you are. But, thankfully, you find the things that truly matter…’

The following year, Jessica posted a picture of a sign reading: ‘You are not too sensitive. You 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, Meghan seems to have kept a distance from her former pal – with no mention of her in Harry’s book Spare or the couple’s 2022 Netflix documentary. Jessica was also not invited to take part in the Duchess’s most recent project – With Love, Meghan.

Before she married Prince Harry, Meghan would often gush about Jessica online – with the pair often going on holidays together.

In December 2015, the Duchess said that ‘the room stops’ whenever her friend ‘shows up at an event’. 

Referencing the 1980s US sitcom Out of This World, Meghan compared Jessica to the show’s heroine Evie (played by Maureen Flannigan) – who has the ability to freeze time.

Gushing about the effect Jessica has on people, Meghan described her as ‘savvy and fashionable and tres cool, and also va va va voom pritaaaay’.

She continued: ‘And here’s the other thing – she also happens to be an incredible stylist, clothing the likes of Canada’s First Lady, Sophie Trudeau.’

In her 2022 Netflix documentary, Meghan shared footage of the night Prince Harry proposed in 2017 – where she FaceTimed her friend ‘Jess’ as she walked the grounds of Kensington Palace.

The following year, Meghan then asked Jessica’s three children John, Brian and Isabel to be in her wedding party – while the stylist was given a starring role as she entered St George’s Chapel alongside the Princess of Wales. 

Throughout 2024, Jessica also shared snaps of ‘dress fittings’, and captured her and husband Ben’s attendance at the The Horatio Alger Award – awarded to ‘distinguished Americans to individuals who have achieved success in the face of adversity’.

‘Spending time with the incredible members and touring some of the more historic destinations in the city were both a close second to hearing the inspirational stories of some of the most impressive young scholars in Canada and the US,’ she wrote in the caption.

‘My father in law was so proud of his membership. Ben and I look forward to continuing his work with them in our own way.’

Meanwhile in February – sporting a very glamorous make-up looks, she penned: ‘Doing this thing today for work with a brand I truly love. As I get older, I’ve gotten over the travel of it all. Nothing compares to spending time with my kids at home. Absolutely nothing.’ 

As per her Instagram bio, Jessica is also the founder of the Female Empowerment Project, which is ‘a group of female experts in the world of finance, law, manufacturing, marketing and social media mentoring small female founded businesses in the US and Canada’.