Meghan Markle once again found herself in the midst of controversy, this time at the Los Angeles Children's Hospital Gala. Meghan, dressed in a bold red gown, certainly made a statement. However, it wasn't just the usual tabloid writers and Twitter trolls weighing in on her appearance this time—it was reportedly the Hollywood elite who gave her the cold shoulder, with none other than Jamie Lee Curtis leading the "No Thanks" brigade.
The gala, a prestigious biannual event that draws in a parade of Hollywood stars who genuinely want to make a difference, quickly became focused on Meghan. After all, it's hard to ignore someone dressed in fiery red, especially at a children's hospital charity event, where such a fashion choice felt somewhat off-brand.
Yet, undeterred by any social conventions, Meghan appeared ready to claim the spotlight. According to Neil Sean, Jamie Lee Curtis, a Hollywood legend with an impressive resume—and an actual baroness title by marriage—was one of many stars who kept their distance from Meghan. Curtis, who has never felt the need to flaunt her "Lady" title, along with other guests, seemingly didn't want to risk getting drawn into Meghan's orbit.
One can only imagine an inner dialogue if Meghan attempted to outdo Curtis in a rank comparison: "Oh Jamie, you're a baroness? How quaint. I'm an actual Royal Duchess... and you know, a princess."
Of course, Meghan’s team reportedly had a prepared reason for why she avoided mingling with A-list stars like Curtis. Allegedly, she refrains from posing with other celebrities to avoid distracting from the charitable cause. However, considering this is the same Duchess who has previously hobnobbed with the likes of Oprah and George Clooney, it’s a little hard to believe that she's suddenly concerned about sparing others from social media backlash.
Interestingly, Meghan's royal title doesn’t seem to be winning her any popularity points in Hollywood. While she may still enjoy using it for an air of exclusivity, Jamie Lee Curtis could probably teach her a thing or two about holding titles with grace. Curtis, who has been in the industry for decades, has never once used her aristocratic status for clout. She and her husband, Christopher Haden-Guest, simply don't see the need.
But Meghan? She’s practically waving her duchess status around like a VIP pass, seemingly hoping it will grant her entrance into Hollywood’s inner circle. For Meghan, this gala could have been the perfect opportunity to show that she's genuinely committed to philanthropic endeavors. However, as always, the focus quickly shifted to her fashion choices and what appeared to be a desperate need to stay in the limelight.
Observers couldn’t help but notice that her actions once again overshadowed the very cause she claimed to champion. Her relationship with Hollywood's elite feels like a never-ending game of "She's Just Not That Into You," and it’s starting to seem more than a little cringeworthy. Meghan appears to be walking a fine line between fame and philanthropy, but with few A-listers lining up to be her best friends, she may be fighting an uphill battle.
Still, perhaps Meghan is unfazed by all the backlash. After all, she’s become accustomed to being polarizing. She’s carved out a unique niche for herself as a royal turned Hollywood socialite—a position that seems to earn as many eye rolls as it does accolades.
Will Meghan ever be fully embraced by Hollywood’s elite? For now, it seems like she’ll have to continue mingling with B-listers and C-listers, dodging photo ops with Jamie Lee Curtis, and hoping that, one day, the A-listers will finally give her the nod of approval.
