The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been criticised for their apparent response to being snubbed by an A-list pal. A clip of Harry and Meghan at the fundraising event went viral this week.
Red Carpet Snub
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made headlines when they were apparently snubbed by music producer David Foster at a red carpet event in Canada last week. The story was met with a cutting response from Mr Foster, who hit out at "hurtful lies" and described the couple as "gracious and selfless" in a statement to People Magazine.
"Harry and Meghan are dear friends of mine," he said. "Anyone watching can see there was no awkward moment and certainly no snub."
Social Media Speculation
Social media commentators speculated that the Sussexes had petitioned him to speak out publicly, however, with one describing the situation as "embarrassing" for everyone involved. Another added: "This makes them all look so ridiculous. You know Harry and Meghan's staff rang them up and pleaded for a statement to be given, because they always do it. Very cringe."
A third wrote: "Meghan clearly spends all day reading and obsessing about what's in the tabloids."
Viral Clip
The clip went viral shortly after the duke and duchess made a rare joint appearance at the David Foster Foundation 40th Anniversary Celebration in Canada on Friday. It showed Mr Foster and his wife Katharine McPhee approaching the couple, with Meghan's attempt to extend her arms in greeting seemingly ignored as they passed her by. The duchess was filmed quickly regaining her composure before pulling her arms back and leaning on her husband.
Foster's Response
Mr Foster said in his statement: "As the host of the David Foster and Friends foundation event, I had already greeted our friends, the duke and duchess, at the entrance 10 minutes before the red carpet encounter. It's sad that certain media choose to deceive [it] for clickbait. They turned simple 'positioning' to get the best photo into a hurtful lie."
