Meghan Markle supports best friend who was embroiled in Black Lives Matter row

Meghan Markle reportedly sent friend Jessica Mulroney flowers for her birthday, months after the stylist from Toronto was embroiled in a row over alleged “racist bullying”.

Ms Mulroney, 41, posted a photo of the pink roses on her Instagram stories on Sunday, writing: “LUCKIEST FRIEND XXXX, THX MM,” over it. 

Her latest post, which could only be viewed for 24-hours, comes after the Canadian defended the Duchess of Sussex in the wake of accusations of bullying Royal staff.

On 5 March, a few days before Meghan and Harry’s viral interview with Oprah Winfrey, Ms Mulroney put up a photo of the pair in earlier days and wrote: “I don’t know that anyone has ever had to deal with the pressure, the politics and the press like this woman. In the face of it all, I have never seen her waver from kindness, empathy and love.”

The post comes several months after Ms Mulroney, who was one of Ms Markle’s closest allies during her seven-years in Canada, where she filmed the TV show, Suits, was caught up in an argument last year with a black social media influencer, Sasha Exeter.

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After the two disagreed over one of Exeter’s Instagram posts supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, Exeter shared an 11-minute video on Instagram in which she claimed Mulroney, who is close friends with the Duchess of Sussex, “took offence” to “a very generic call to action”.

“What happened next was a series of very problematic behaviour and antics that ultimately resulted in [Mulroney] sending me a threat in writing last Wednesday 3 June,” Exeter added.

Ms Exeter accused the white stylist of sending her private messages that left her “paralysed with fear”, as reported by Page Six. 

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Ms Mulroney later issued a public apology and appeared to refer to her friendship with the Duchess when she wrote: “As I told you privately, I have lived a very public and personal experience with my closest friend where race was front and centre. 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.”

She later stepped back from a charity she co-founded, The Shoebox Project, was let go from a styling role at the Canadian department store Hudson’s Bay, and the reality TV show that Mulroney hosted, I Do Redo, was cancelled.

At the time there was speculation in the media that the argument had caused a “rift” in her friendship with Ms Markle, who is biracial.

During the interview with Ms Windrey, the Duchess explained that when she was a working member of the British royal family that she had been “silenced” and not allowed to meet up with friends.

In September Ms Mulroney had tried to set the record straight when she wrote on Instagram stories: “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 everyday. Tabloid culture is atrocious. It creates lies and hurtful storyline. Stop feeding into it. Done.”