Ben Mulroney, husband of Meghan Markle's former friend Jessica Mulroney, has publicly defended his wife against accusations of displaying "textbook white privilege." Speaking on the "No But Seriously Though" podcast, Mulroney referred to influencer Sasha Exeter as a "racial grifter" who allegedly fabricated a narrative to exploit the social and racial climate following George Floyd's death in June 2020.
According to Mulroney, the conflict began when Jessica Mulroney allegedly took offense to a "generic call to action" post Exeter shared regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. Exeter accused Mulroney of threatening her livelihood in private messages, which Mulroney described as problematic behavior stemming from a perceived sense of power and privilege due to her skin color.
"A racial grifter decided to take advantage of the George Floyd moment and make up a complete fiction about my wife," Ben Mulroney stated on the podcast. He claimed that "texts and DMs" he possesses would reveal a different story, suggesting Exeter was antagonizing his wife. He further alleged that his wife apologized multiple times for the incident.
This controversy reportedly led to a rift between Jessica Mulroney and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. Jessica Mulroney was a close friend and served as a maid of honor at Markle's 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. Reports indicated that Markle cut off contact with Mulroney following the public fallout.
Ben Mulroney stepped down from his role as an anchor on Canadian television's eTalk in solidarity with his wife. Jessica Mulroney also faced professional consequences, losing her presenting role on Good Morning America and having her wedding-themed reality show, "I Do, Redo," pulled from the schedule in Canada.
Despite the public apologies from Jessica Mulroney and the impact on her career, her husband maintains the scandal was "made up." He suggested that his work colleagues readily accepted the narrative against his wife.
While reports have suggested a significant cooling of relations between the Duchess of Sussex and Mulroney, Ben Mulroney has recently asserted that they remain on positive terms, though Markle has never publicly commented on the matter. Jessica Mulroney has also remained largely silent regarding the specifics of her past friendship with Markle, reportedly declining to comment on rumors of a memoir.
Ben and Jessica Mulroney, married since 2008, reportedly split up in July 2025 after 16 years of marriage. Ben Mulroney, the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, had a career in television and radio before stepping away from eTalk in 2020.