Since 2015, Julia Roberts has hosted a small gathering of her close friends and colleagues from the entertainment industry. Past attendees have included the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Sandra Bullock. It's considered a very intimate affair, with no more than 15 to 20 people in attendance. The gathering is held over a weekend at Julia's lavish estate near Santa Barbara, where attendees enjoy gourmet meals, spa treatments, games, and bonding activities away from the public eye. Roberts personally handpicks each invitee and oversees all arrangements. Clearly, securing a spot at this exclusive soiree is a significant deal in Hollywood.
It's worth noting that Meghan and Julia have never worked together on a project or appeared together publicly, and their careers haven't significantly overlapped. However, there's an incident from 2019 that could be relevant. During that time, while promoting her film "Little Fires Everywhere," Reese Witherspoon mentioned that Meghan Markle would be a great addition to the cast for any possible future seasons. Witherspoon and Roberts are extremely close friends, so perhaps Roberts didn't appreciate Witherspoon publicly endorsing Meghan for her show, viewing it as encroaching on her friend's limelight.
Another potential issue could stem from Meghan's high-profile marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, which instantly elevated her global fame and status beyond just being an actress. With her ties to the royal family, Meghan's star power may have surpassed many of her peers in Hollywood. Julia Roberts, a true A-list veteran, has been famous far longer, so the increasing spotlight on Meghan could be perceived as a threat to Roberts' own standing.
All of the above are mere speculations. The actual reason behind Julia Roberts reportedly denying Meghan entry may lie in something more personal. Multiple insiders close to Roberts have claimed that the real catalyst was Meghan inappropriately trying to befriend Roberts' husband, Danny Moder. Danny Moder is a renowned cinematographer, to whom Julia Roberts has been happily married since 2002. They keep a low public profile as a couple, but it's rumored that at some event last year, Meghan was observed getting too friendly and chatty with Moder, allegedly flirting and trying to charm him. This reportedly irked Julia Roberts and created tension between the actresses. Roberts' protectiveness over her marriage is deeply important to her, so witnessing another woman attempting to get close to her husband would not have gone over well.
No boundaries were actually crossed by Meghan, but her actions may have still felt disrespectful. This could explain why Roberts wanted to exclude Meghan from the upcoming exclusive gathering at her home. At this stage, neither Julia Roberts, Meghan Markle, nor their representatives have made any official comments on this alleged rift. All details about the annual gathering and Meghan's reported disinvitation come from anonymous industry sources. It remains speculation whether any real tension exists between the two stars or if last year's interaction involving Danny Moder truly influenced Roberts' invite list.
Meghan and Harry are currently residing in California as they transition out of their senior royal roles. Thus, being excluded from prestigious Hollywood events on home turf, like this one hosted by Julia Roberts, is a blow. However, Roberts probably wants to assert control over her personal circle and protect her marriage. Only time will tell if the two actresses can smooth things over or if this disagreement persists longer-term. For now, fans can only speculate on what really happened. But it seems there may be more than meets the eye regarding Julia Roberts' decision to seemingly disallow Meghan Markle from joining her exclusive annual gathering of top A-list female stars this year in California.
