Meghan Markle’s Former Best Friend Jessica Mulroney and Husband Ben Split After 16 Years of Marriage

Jessica Mulroney and Ben Mulroney are going their separate ways after 16 years of marriage — and the timing of the news has sparked renewed attention on Jessica’s very public falling out with Meghan Markle.

The Canadian stylist, 45, quietly hinted at the breakup in a series of recent mirror selfies posted to Instagram — notably without her wedding band. Her husband Ben, 49, hadn’t appeared on her feed since March, when she shared a sweet (and now bittersweet) birthday tribute. “Happy belated Birthday Benny! Hope all your wishes come true as well as Bruce Wayne’s dream to try my cheesecake. Xx,” she captioned the post, which showed Ben blowing out his birthday candles.

Page Six was first to report the breakup on July 29.

Jessica and Ben first met as teenagers, but didn’t start dating until 2007. Sparks flew fast — Jessica called their first night out “the best date of my life” in a 2018 Instagram post. They got engaged just nine months later and tied the knot in October 2008. The couple share three children: twin sons Brian and John, born in 2010, and daughter Isabel, born in 2013.

The Mulroneys were once closely tied to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Jessica, a former TV personality and fashion expert, was often seen as part of Meghan’s inner circle — and all three of her children were part of the royal wedding in 2018. Brian and John served as page boys while Isabel was a bridesmaid.

But the once-close friendship between Jessica and Meghan took a turn in 2020, when influencer Sasha Exeter called Jessica out for what she described as “very problematic behavior and antics” involving race and privilege in the fashion world. Jessica issued a public apology and referenced Meghan while trying to explain her growth.

“As I told you privately, I have lived a very public and personal experience with my closest friend where race was front and centre,” Jessica said at the time. “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.”

That statement reportedly didn’t sit well with Meghan. A source told Us Weekly that the Duchess of Sussex felt it crossed a line. “Meghan considers the relationship to be done,” the insider said, adding that “it’s a bit off-putting when Jessica seemingly uses their friendship for headlines.”