Ben Mulroney said what happened was Jessica’s “story to tell”

Jessica Mulroney, Ben Mulroney and Meghan Markle at a World Vision event at Lumas Gallery on March 22, 2016 in Toronto, Canada.Credit : George Pimentel/WireImage

Ben Mulroney gave a rare update on the status of the friendship between Meghan Markle and his estranged wife, Jessica Mulroney.

Canadian radio and TV host Ben, 49, reflected while appearing on the Jan. 28 episode of the Can’t Be Censored podcast, after cohost Travis Dhanraj asked about the relationship between Jessica and the Duchess of Sussex after their reported falling out a few years ago.

“There’s so much interest in that period, that friendship, all that stuff. Do you want to say anything about where things are?” Dhanraj asked after a short chat about Meghan’s royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

“It’s Jess’ story to tell. I wouldn’t speak for her, so if she ever wants to talk about it, but from what I understand, they are on positive terms,” said Ben.

Jessica Mulroney, Ben Mulroney and Meghan Markle at an event in Toronto on March 22, 2016.George Pimentel/WireImage

Meghan, 44, and Jessica, 45, were friends for years before Meghan met and married Prince Harry, frequently appearing on each other’s Instagram pages and traveling together. The stylist helped select looks for Meghan’s character on Suits, which was filmed in Toronto, and reportedly assisted with wardrobe choices when she entered the royal fold.

Personal footage shared in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s 2022 docuseries, Harry & Meghan, on Netflix even seemed to reveal that Meghan called Jessica when Prince Harry was about to propose in 2017.

“Oh my God, Jess, Jess, Jess, Jess, it’s happening, it’s happening, it’s happening! Oh my God, he told me not to peek, oh my God!” Meghan said then.

Meghan Markle arrives for her wedding to Prince Harry at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018.Andrew Matthews – WPA Pool/Getty

The Mulroney family later played a prominent role on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding day as Ben and Jessica’s three children were in the bridal party.

Ben and Jessica’s twin sons, Brian and John, were page boys with Prince George and carried Meghan’s sweeping veil at St. George’s Chapel, while their daughter, Ivy, was a bridesmaid alongside Princess Charlotte.

Jessica was also widely regarded as Meghan’s “unofficial maid of honor” at the royal wedding and wore an all-blue outfit as a possible tribute to the bride’s “something blue.”

Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Jessica Mulroney, Ivy Mulroney and Florence van Cutsem at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding at St. George’s Chapel on May 19, 2018.Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty

In June 2020, the Duchess of Sussex and her pal reportedly fell out after Canadian lifestyle influencer Sasha Exeter publicly accused Jessica of exhibiting “textbook white privilege” and “very problematic behavior and antics” after Exeter posted a call to action backing the Black Lives Matter movement.

The stylist initially apologized in a comment on Exeter’s video, but tensions escalated when Exeter later shared a private message from Jessica, who allegedly alluded to taking legal action for libel.

Following the controversy, Jessica’s TV show I Do, Redo was pulled by CTV in Canada, and she announced a decision to “step away from my professional engagements,” including regular appearances on Good Morning America as a fashion contributor.

That September, Jessica took to Instagram to share her side of the story about the state of her friendship with Meghan after the scandal.

(Left) Meghan Markle on Oct. 9, 2025; (Right) Jessica Mulroney on June 16, 2022.Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty; George Pimentel/Shutterstock

“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 every day. Tabloid culture is atrocious. It creates lies and hurtful storyline. Stop feeding into it. Done,” Jessica wrote on her Instagram Stories, in a slide that was later deleted.

The friendship between the pair seems to have cooled, at least publicly. The stylist was not among the many friends who joined Meghan on her lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, which aired two seasons and a holiday special on Netflix in 2025.

In July, Page Six reported that Jessica and Ben, the son of the late Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, had split after 16 years of marriage. An insider told the outlet that the couple had separated “some time ago.”

A representative for Jessica did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.