ABC cuts ties with Meghan Markle's BFF Jessica Mulroney following 'white privilege' controversy
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Meghan Markle's close friend Jessica Mulroney has lost her long-standing gig with "Good Morning America" after she became embroiled this week in a controversy regarding white privilege.
Just one day after making a public apology for her feud with lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter, the ABC show confirmed Mulroney would no longer appear on "GMA" as a fashion contributor.
"As Jessica Mulroney said last night, she is stepping away from her professional engagements and that includes Good Morning America. She will no longer appear on our show," a tweet from the morning show's official account reads.
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Mulroney has appeared on various episodes of the morning show since 2018, according to her IMDB. Most recently she was featured on "GMA3: Strahan, Sarah and Keke" in an episode that aired on Feb. 24.
On Wednesday, Exeter, a lifestyle blogger, shared a video on Instagram that she titled "MY 'AMY COOPER' EXPERIENCE" -- a reference to the white woman who called the police on a black birdwatcher in Central Park last month.
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In the nearly-12-minute video, Exeter revealed that she had shared a "generic" call to action on her Instagram story in light of recent events, claiming that Mulroney "took offense" to the message.
"What happened next was a series of very problematic behavior and antics that ultimately resulted in [Mulroney] sending me a threat in writing last Wednesday," said the blogger.
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Exeter stressed that she wasn't calling Mulroney a racist, but said that "she is very well aware of her wealth, her perceived power and privilege because of the color of her skin."
"And that, my friends, gave her the momentary confidence to come for my livelihood in writing," said Exeter, calling the incident a display of "textbook white privilege."
"For her to threaten me ― a single mom, a single black mom — during a racial pandemic blows my mind," the blogger continued. “The goal here is genuine, transformative change ― not optical and performative bulls--t. You cannot be posting that you stand in solidarity while attempting to silence somebody via text."
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Mulroney issued an apology in the comments of the video.
"You are right when you say 'this s--t needs to stop,'" wrote Mulroney, per People. "As leaders, we need to join hands and call out wrongs. I know we have different experiences. And that is something that, even in the course of a heated argument, I need to acknowledge and understand. I am unequivocally sorry for not doing that with you, and for any hurt I caused."
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Mulroney then referenced her relationship with Markle, 38, calling their relationship and the Duchess of Sussex's time in the spotlight "deeply educational."
"I learned a lot from that," admitted Mulroney. "I promise to continue to learn and listen on how I can use my privilege to elevate and support black voices."
After the public apology, Exeter shared a screenshot of a direct message that she received from Mulroney, which contained the threat of a lawsuit.
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“Liable [sic] suit. Good luck,” Mulroney wrote.
Then on Thursday, Mulroney shared a statement of her own on the matter.
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"As some of you may have seen, @SashaExeter and I had a disagreement," she wrote on Instagram. "She rightfully called me out for not doing enough when it came to engaging in the important and difficult conversation around race and injustice in our society. I took it personally and that was wrong. I know I need to do better. Those of us with a platform must use it to speak out."
Meanwhile, insiders close to Markle and Prince Harry revealed to Vanity Fair that the royal couple remain "united" in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
Fox News' Nate Day contributed to this report.