Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Hollywood Friendships Have All But Vanished: ‘They Don’t Get It’
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s once star-studded Hollywood circle is reportedly shrinking as famous friends quietly drift away.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have mostly relied on their Hollywood circle of friends ever since they stepped down as working royals in 2020. However, reports have been emerging that many of their ‘friends’ have apparently started distancing themselves from the couple over the years. Harry and Markle’s wedding felt like the biggest mix of Hollywood glamour and royal tradition back in 2018. Alongside the royals at St George’s Chapel were huge celebrity names like Oprah Winfrey, George and Amal Clooney, David and Victoria Beckham, Serena Williams, and Idris Elba, all turning up to celebrate the couple’s big day.
At the time, it looked like the Sussexes had the kind of star-studded inner circle most people could only dream of. But nearly eight years later, things reportedly look very different behind the scenes, with several of those once-famous friendships said to have quietly drifted apart. According to The Daily Mail, some sources even claim that they have “no bridges left to burn” at this point. A source told the outlet, “They don’t get it. They never think it is them.” They continued, “They love famous people – they are very name-droppy. The association gives them a kick. But if someone stops calling, they don’t ask why.”
Oprah Winfrey was easily one of the biggest names at Harry and Markle’s wedding, even though she reportedly had not met Markle before the event. Soon after, Winfrey became closely tied to the couple, especially following their explosive 2021 interview, where the Duchess opened up about her struggles within the Royal Family. But according to insiders, that friendship is no longer what it used to be.
“They are not as close as they once were,” one source claimed. Meanwhile, former Page Six columnist Paula Froelich revealed, “The truth is Oprah has been long-arming the Sussexes for some time. She can’t let them drift too far away because if something happens…she will want the interview.” Froelich further suggested that the couple’s reputation in Hollywood may have made some celebrities more cautious, saying, “No one wants to hang out with Meghan.”
Questions about how close the royal couple is to George and Amal Clooney were also brought up. But the friendship appeared to grow quickly after the wedding, with the Sussexes reportedly vacationing at the Clooneys’ Lake Como home. But according to insiders, that relationship has long since cooled. “The Clooneys now want nothing to do with them,” the source claimed.
However, the Clooneys still seem very close to the Royal Family through their longtime support of the King’s Trust. They both showed up at the charity’s 50th anniversary event this week. Idris Elba, who famously DJ’d at Harry and Markle’s wedding, was there too and even shared a fun DJ moment with King Charles during the celebration.
Furthermore, reports also emerged that the relationship between Markle and tennis star Serena Williams has also soured. The speculation circulated after Williams posed at the 2026 Met Gala with Emma Thynn and Edward Enninful, Markle’s rivals.
