Meghan Markle’s former best friend Jessica Mulroney and her husband, Ben Mulroney, have split after 16 years of marriage, a source confirms to Us Weekly.
The split confirmation comes after Jessica, 45, shared a handful of mirror selfies in which her wedding band was seemingly missing from her finger via Instagram. Ben, 49, most recently appeared on her page in March, when Jessica gave the Canadian radio host a birthday shoutout. (Page Six was first to break the split news on Tuesday, July 29.)
“Happy belated Birthday Benny! Hope all your wishes come true as well as Bruce Wayne’s dream to try my cheesecake. Xx,” she captioned a photo of Ben blowing out his birthday candles.
Four months prior, Jessica shared a tribute to Ben for their wedding anniversary, admitting in her post that they had both forgotten the celebratory occasion.
Meghan Markle’s Inner Circle: Meet Her Closest Friends
“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 @benmulroney? I feel lucky everyday so what’s a number?” she wrote.
Jessica and Ben met as teenagers but remained acquaintances until they finally went on their first date in 2007.
“It was the best date of my life,” the Canadian fashion stylist wrote in a 2018 Instagram post.
Jessica and Ben got engaged after nine months of dating and tied the knot in October 2008. Their twin sons, Brian and John, were born in August 2010, followed by daughter Isabel in June 2013.
Jessica and Ben, the son of late former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, both attended Markle’s wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 with Brian and John, 14, serving as page boys, and Isabel, 12, acting as a bridesmaid.
Jessica and Markle, 43, were once close friends, with the marketing consultant by Markle’s side as she entered the royal family. However, the pair hit a bump in the road in 2020 when influencer Sasha Exeter called Jessica out for her allegedly “very problematic behavior and antics” within the fashion community. Jessica apologized for her remarks and referenced her friendship with Markle, as well as Markle’s own battle with racism.
“As I told you privately, I have lived a very public and personal experience with my closest friend where race was front and centre,” Jessica told Exeter. “It was deeply educational. 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.”
Breaking Down Meghan Markle and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau’s Friendship
A source told Us at the time that Markle “could not get over that Jessica brought up [their] relationship … when she commented about her ‘closest friend’ in the discourse with Sasha. That was hugely offensive to Meghan and the deciding factor for her. Meghan considers the relationship to be done.”
The insider added, “Of course Meghan is supportive of Jessica, as she is with all of her friends, but it’s a bit off-putting when Jessica seemingly uses their friendship for headlines. Meghan is very aware when people in her life do this … [and she] is being very cautious with her affiliations.”
