Kris Jenner’s sign of support for Meghan after ‘photogate’
Kris Jenner has given Meghan Markle a show of support by sharing a trailer for her upcoming Netflix Christmas special online following the ‘photogate’ scandal. The Kardashian ‘momager’ reposted an advert on Instagram for the festive edition of With Love, Meghan ahead of its release on the streaming platform on December 3. Meghan’s husband Prince Harry makes a brief cameo appearance in the 65-second clip when he and the duchess share a kiss as she tries out decorating and baking.
‘I love the holiday season,’ Meghan says in a voiceover. ‘It’s about finding time to connect with the people we love, embracing traditions, and making new ones.’ The show, which sees her offer hosting tips while cooking with friends, was savaged by critics following its release in March but a second series came out in August. The latest development follows Jenner’s 70th birthday party being overshadowed by a mystery over why photos of Meghan and Harry were deleted from social media.
Candid images showed the couple cosying up to Jenner on November 8, with Harry seen sashaying towards the birthday girl on the dancefloor in Beverly Hills. But within 48 hours they were all scrubbed from Instagram by Jenner and her daughter Kim Kardashian , who had shared them with their millions of followers. The Sussexes were among the A-listers invited to the James Bond-themed ball thrown for Jenner by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez at their $165million estate.
People magazine, the Sussexes’ preferred publication in the US, claimed that Meghan and Harry asked that no photographs of them inside the party were published. The publication also claimed it was understood that the Sussexes ticked a ‘no’ box on a photo consent form, leading to the party images of them being removed. But a source close to the event then strongly refuted the claim to the Daily Mail, saying ‘there were no consent forms’ – meaning it remains unclear why the photos vanished and whether the Sussexes or anyone else asked for them to come down.
Despite the images being deleted, the pictures of Harry and Meghan were shared widely on social media and published by several websites in the US. Harry looked particularly happy in one photo, putting his arm around Jenner, who was standing between him and his wife, with the prince leaning in to bring his face closer to hers. Meghan looked far more serious, with her hand on Jenner’s shoulder. The former Suits star smiled, but not as widely as Harry, who in another now-deleted image appeared to be giddy and shimmying towards their host on the dancefloor.
The duchess, who met through mutual friend Ellen DeGeneres at a party three years ago, was also seen laughing with her hand resting on Jenner’s shoulder. While photos of Harry and Meghan were deleted, Jenner’s photos with the likes of Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Mark Zuckerberg, Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey and hosts Mr Bezos and Lauren Sanchez remained on her social media. In an interview published by Harper’s Bazaar this week, Meghan spoke about her ‘brave’ decision to make jam and gushed over how much ‘childlike’ Harry loves her.
The feature was entitled ‘Meghan’s Moment’, with the strapline: ‘After years of being subsumed by other people’s narratives, the Duchess of Sussex is ready to author her own next chapter.’ Meghan was also announced by a house manager in New York by her full title ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’ to a room with only one other person in it. Asked what inspiration she hopes Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, will draw from her working life, Meghan talks about making homemade pots of jam in the kitchen of their $15 million Montecito mansion that she would later sell through her lifestyle business, As Ever.
‘I hope they see the value of being brave’, she says of her children, adding: ‘They saw it when the jam was just a pot on the stove, bubbling.’ A large section of the interview is dedicated to Harry and his love for his wife. Speaking with her hand held to her heart when describing the prince, Meghan said: ‘He loves me so boldly, fully. No one in the world loves me more than him, so I know he’s always going to make sure that he has my back. ‘You have someone who just has this childlike wonder and playfulness. I was so drawn to that, and he brought that out in me.’
Friends are also called upon for supportive quotes in the magazine. As well as Serena Williams’s praise for her ‘smart’ friend, she adds: ‘I feel like no matter what, I can always learn from her’. Former model Kelly Zajfen says: ‘There’s not a day that goes by that she hasn’t checked in or I haven’t checked in. Meghan just always made herself available to all of us.’ The duchess also admits making mistakes and says there is ‘not a lot of fun’ in trying to be perfect.
And in an apparent message for her critics, she said: ‘I think the moment you start making all of your personal decisions based on external judgment, you lose your authenticity.’ The interview saw Meghan posing for the cover of the magazine in black silk jacket and trousers by Dior, and in another picture she wore a sleeveless red Balenciaga dress with a dramatic cape draping over one shoulder.
