Hollywood’s elite rolled out the red carpet in Venice last week for the lavish wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, but one familiar face was notably absent from the guest list. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, didn’t get an invite — and word is, she’s not taking it well.
The glitzy celebration was packed with A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Sydney Sweeney. But Meghan and Prince Harry were nowhere to be seen. According to sources, the snub has left Meghan “reeling” and more than a little miffed, especially since she believes she’s more famous than the Kardashians.
“Meghan is reeling after not receiving an invitation to Bezos and Sanchez’s wedding as she considers herself more famous and important than guests such as the Kardashians,” a source told Radar Online. The insider went on to say the snub makes it clear how far the Sussexes have drifted from the centre of Hollywood’s social scene.
To make matters worse, Meghan’s latest project — her podcast Confessions of a Female Founder — isn’t exactly setting the entertainment world on fire. Reports claim it’s become “one of the most-mocked in the world,” with her efforts to rebrand herself as a philanthropic powerhouse seemingly falling flat.
Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020 and relocating to California, Meghan and Harry have been trying to carve out a space in the celebrity landscape. They struck a multi-million deal with Netflix and Meghan recently launched her lifestyle brand, As Ever. But despite the high-profile moves, their clout in elite Hollywood circles appears to be slipping.
A source said the lack of an invite to the Bezos bash “rubs salt in the wound” for Meghan, especially given how much she reportedly admires Lauren Sanchez’s social life. “As for Harry, the shift from royal duties to a celebrity lifestyle has hit a dead end,” the insider added.
Apparently, their social calendar is starting to look a bit sparse as former celebrity mates give them the cold shoulder. “They don’t have that many friends left,” another source claimed, noting that Meghan has been scrambling to book big names for her podcast — but with little luck.
“She’s dialled all the big names, but no one’s picked up,” the source said, adding that the line-up so far has raised eyebrows. “Especially hers. I mean, she lives in California, and the best she can do is a woman who runs a dating app. Jeez.”
The absence of names like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé or even Hailey Bieber is reportedly a sore spot. “When you’re pitching female empowerment, that’s a problem. It speaks volumes for her pulling power. She’s not happy about her lack of appeal,” the source added.
With major stars swerving her calls, Meghan has apparently pivoted to influencers and up-and-coming CEOs to fill the gaps, a move one PR expert described as a stark downgrade from the A-list crowd she was hoping to attract.
“It’s clear that several of Meghan’s high-profile friendships have cooled over the past few years,” PR expert Ronn Torossian told Express. He pointed out that even when Meghan gifted jars of her American Riviera Orchard jam to a select group, there was radio silence from big-name pals like Oprah Winfrey and the Clooneys — if they received any at all.
Whether it’s a sign of fading star power or just a rough patch, it’s clear Meghan’s Hollywood dream isn’t going quite as planned.