[imagesource: WIREIMAGE]

Many of us have had to do a Facebook friend cleanse since the Black Lives Matter protests took off in the US and spread across the globe.

How people respond to the movement is often a good indicator of whether or not a ‘friend’ is worth holding on to.

While us regular folk can hit ‘unfriend’ without anyone noticing, celebrities, more often than not, have their business aired publicly, or choose to do so themselves.

Meghan Markle is in all of the headlines for this story, but the real tension is between Meghan’s friend and wedding planner Jessica Mulroney (above) and Canadian lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter.

Vanity Fair breaks it down:

It started, Exeter said, when she wrote call-to-action Instagram posts about Black Lives Matter and the global protests following the death of George Floyd. According to Exeter, in a series of private conversations, Mulroney assumed that Exeter’s posts amounted to public criticism of the fact that Mulroney had not posted about the racial justice movement on her own social media. Hours later, Mulroney posted an apology on Exeter’s account.

Before we get to the apology, let’s check out Exeter’s 11-minute video on Instagram accusing Mulroney of threatening her relationships with potential sponsors:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

I’ve been silent. Not anymore!⁣ ⁣ I’m used to being so transparent on this platform. I think it’s the main reason why most of you follow me. Today, I’m opening up about something that has been haunting me for the last week. I have felt like a complete fraud fighting for racial equality and using my voice openly here, while letting a white woman silence mine behind closed doors. In sharing this very personal story, I know that I am risking a lot. Opening myself up to criticism, bullying and potential ramifications with my job in this space. However, I must speak my truth. Enough is enough. Hopefully my voice will be heard by many and help change things for the next generation and for my daughter Maxwell… because I will be dammed if my child ever has to deal with this level of ignorance.

A post shared by SoSasha (@sashaexeter) on Jun 10, 2020 at 4:37pm PDT

Exeter says that she gave naming Mulroney “a lot of thought” before she decided to make the video, but ultimately felt that it was for the best.

Mulroney, whose series called I Do Redo is currently airing in Canada, allegedly told Exeter that she didn’t want to post about the issues on social media for a number of reasons, including that she needed to promote a new series and did not want to be bullied.

Mulroney essentially pulled a ‘Superbalist’ on the issues by refusing to acknowledge the movement publicly, and then, in a weird move, also felt that anyone posting about it was attacking her directly.

Her desire not to do anything that would conflict with her new show also backfired. She has been fired from hosting I Do, Redo. She has also lost her job as a fashion and bridal specialist at the Canadian department store Hudson’s Bay.

“I was blocked from her Instagram account,” said Exeter of what happened afterward. “And [I was sent] a trail of offensive messages that ended in her saying, ‘I have also spoken to companies and people about the way you treated me unfairly. You think your voice matters. Well it only matters if you express it with kindness and without shaming people who are simply trying to learn. Good luck.’”

Here’s where Meghan does come into it. Mulroney posted the following apology:

@sashaexeterr, you are right when you say “this shit needs to stop”. 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. 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 seems to be referencing Meghan and also letting everyone know that she has a black friend, so she can’t be racist.

Most of the back and forth happened through private messages, but Mulroney’s apology isn’t doing her any favours, which is why she then posted the following, publicly, on her own Instagram account.

You’ll need to scroll through it to see the full apology:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Please read my statement. It is from my heart.

A post shared by Jess Mulroney (@jessicamulroney) on Jun 11, 2020 at 11:06am PDT

She clearly brought in a much-needed PR team on that one.

[source:vanityfair]