On a Saturday evening, George Lucas welcomed Hollywood’s biggest names to the grand opening of his new museum in Los Angeles. The guest list was filled with powerful celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, who once hosted Meghan Markle’s famous interview, Tyler Perry, who offered Harry and Meghan a home when they first arrived in California, and Kim Kardashian, whose family celebrated a milestone birthday with the Sussexes the previous year. Three people who had once been closely associated with Meghan were gathered beneath the same roof. Yet Harry and Meghan were nowhere to be seen. Their absence raised an uncomfortable question: had the couple gradually lost the support of some of their most influential friends?
Around the same time, another disappointing story emerged from Hollywood. Guy Ritchie, the director behind Netflix’s popular series The Gentlemen, was reportedly asked whether Meghan might appear in its third season. According to a report attributed to the British newspaper The Sun, his response was brief and dismissive. First came a surprised, “Really?” followed by an even firmer answer: “Not a chance.” No public argument had been announced, and nobody had formally confirmed a falling-out. Nevertheless, the reports painted a picture of opportunities disappearing and once-prominent friendships growing increasingly distant.
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The story had apparently begun several days earlier in London, where Meghan met Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai for afternoon tea at Claridge’s, one of the capital’s most prestigious hotels. Known for hosting royalty and international leaders, Claridge’s is hardly a discreet destination for anyone hoping to avoid public attention. For Meghan, whose public image has often emphasized her desire for privacy, the appearance attracted considerable interest. Soon afterward, her lifestyle brand, As Ever, reportedly announced that proceeds from its jams and teas would support Malala’s charitable work. On the surface, everything appeared carefully arranged for a successful return to the British social scene. Yet reports suggested Meghan had hoped to reconnect with someone else: Amal Clooney.
That same week, London hosted several glamorous occasions that would once have seemed natural invitations for Meghan. One was a film premiere connected to international humanitarian causes, an area in which she had previously established a public profile through her work with UN Women. Another was the fortieth-anniversary celebration of The Phantom of the Opera, organized by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. The evening reunited original stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford on the West End stage. Despite the occasion’s prestige, Meghan was reportedly absent.
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The third event was arguably the most significant: the Albies, an awards ceremony organized by George and Amal Clooney’s Clooney Foundation for Justice. Held at London’s Natural History Museum, the gathering celebrated individuals who had faced persecution for their journalism and human rights work. Prominent guests included Brad Pitt, while television presenter Graham Norton hosted the ceremony. For Meghan, the evening carried an additional complication. The Clooneys had once been friends of the Sussexes, but their relationship was reportedly no longer active. According to royal commentators, the distance had existed since Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in January 2020.
The earlier friendship had appeared remarkably warm. George and Amal attended the couple’s 2018 wedding, and the Clooneys reportedly helped Meghan travel privately to Italy and later to New York for her baby shower. Yet years later, the couples were no longer seen together publicly. The precise reasons for their separation have never been fully established, but commentators have suggested that the Sussexes’ increasingly public disputes with the royal family may have contributed to the divide.
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Meanwhile, Meghan continued presenting a different picture of her life through social media. Photographs from the English countryside showed her enjoying time with American friends, including television personality Ellen DeGeneres, at the Three Horseshoes pub in the Cotswolds. The images conveyed warmth, friendship, and a relaxed country escape. However, one royal commentator claimed that local residents had been less enthusiastic than the photographs suggested, alleging that some staff members had declined to serve the visitors. Such accounts remain disputed, but they added another layer to the debate over the Sussexes’ public image and their relationship with ordinary people.
Across London, King Charles was attending an event at Battersea Power Station to support a music initiative for young people through his charitable organization, The King’s Trust. Beside him stood Apple chief executive Tim Cook and legendary musician Elton John. The photograph attracted attention because Elton had previously defended Harry and Meghan during criticism of their private jet travel. He had also supported Harry’s legal campaign against a British newspaper publisher. However, that litigation reportedly ended in a setback, with substantial legal costs becoming an additional burden.
Commentators subsequently claimed that Elton was unwilling to provide further financial support to Harry, including a reported request connected to the Invictus Games. His appearance alongside Charles therefore prompted speculation that his relationship with the royal family had become more important to him than his association with the Sussexes. Neither side has publicly confirmed every detail of that account, but the contrast between the photograph and the couple’s absence was striking.
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Other former connections also attracted scrutiny. Oprah’s 2021 interview with Harry and Meghan reached millions of viewers, but it generated fierce debate about the couple’s allegations concerning their experiences within the royal household. Some critics accused Oprah of failing to challenge their claims sufficiently, although others defended the interview as an opportunity for the couple to tell their story. Years later, her absence of visible contact with the Sussexes became another subject of speculation.
Tyler Perry’s relationship with the couple also came under discussion. He had offered them accommodation after their departure from Canada and later became godfather to their daughter, Lilibet. His earlier public comments about their love for each other and their children suggested genuine affection. Nevertheless, commentators later examined footage of Meghan greeting Perry at a public event, interpreting his departure as evidence of emotional distance. Such interpretations, however, cannot establish the private state of their friendship.
Kim Kardashian’s family provided another example. Harry and Meghan attended Kris Jenner’s seventieth birthday celebration in November 2025, but photographs featuring them were subsequently removed from social media. Explanations reportedly included concerns about consent and the timing of the posts during Britain’s Remembrance period. Claims that Meghan objected to unretouched photographs circulated as well, although they should not be treated as established fact.
The central question, therefore, is whether these separate incidents reflect a broader change in Hollywood’s attitude toward the Sussexes. Some commentators believe the decisive issue is their public criticism of the royal family through interviews, documentaries, and Harry’s memoir, Spare. George and Amal Clooney are reportedly connected to circles that maintain relationships with King Charles, making the Sussexes’ continuing disputes with the monarchy potentially uncomfortable.
The Beckhams have also been mentioned in discussions about friendships that allegedly deteriorated after misunderstandings over media leaks. However, many details surrounding these relationships remain private, and the people involved have not confirmed every claim circulated by commentators.
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