David Foster Denies Meghan Markle Snub at Aug. 7 Charity Event

Q: Why did a brief red carpet moment threaten to shatter a vital alliance between a music legend and the Sussexes?

Because the moment falsely suggested a rupture in a friendship that has been unusually important to Harry and Meghan. The red-carpet clip appeared to show David Foster walking past Meghan Markle as she greeted him, fueling online claims that he had ignored or slighted her. In reality, Foster said he had already welcomed Harry and Meghan about 10 minutes earlier at the entrance and was simply moving people into place for photographs. He called the snub narrative “a hurtful lie.” That mattered because Foster is not just another celebrity acquaintance. He and his wife, Katharine McPhee, have longstanding personal ties to the Sussexes. McPhee reportedly knew Meghan from childhood in Los Angeles, and Foster helped the couple in late 2019 by arranging a secluded Vancouver Island home as they prepared their transition away from royal duties. That assistance made him part of a small circle that supported them at a pivotal moment. A public perception of bad blood at Foster’s own foundation gala could therefore have damaged more than appearances. It risked overshadowing a major charity event, inviting fresh scrutiny of the Sussexes’ relationships, and casting doubt on an alliance built on years of friendship and practical support. In short, the threat came not from what happened on the carpet, but from what the viral clip seemed to imply: that a trusted ally had publicly cooled toward the Sussexes when Foster insists no such break existed.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 13

David Foster said a viral red-carpet clip from his Aug. 7 foundation event did not show him snubbing Meghan Markle, calling the moment simple photo positioning.
In a statement to People, Foster said he had already greeted Meghan and Prince Harry 10 minutes earlier at the entrance before walking past them on the carpet.
Foster said he later returned with wife Katharine McPhee to pose with the couple and accused some media outlets of turning the encounter into clickbait.
The denial underscores a long friendship: Foster and McPhee are close to Harry and Meghan, and Foster helped arrange a Vancouver Island home for the couple in late 2019.