Harry & Meghan’s Celebrity ‘Appeal’ Wanes Amid Controversies Trailing Them

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly lost some of their luster among celebrity pals who have seemingly distanced themselves from the royal couple.

According to a PR expert, the Sussexes’ appeal has started to fade because of the controversies they’ve been embroiled in.

Many of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Hollywood friends are now allegedly reconsidering maintaining contact with them as they find it “less appealing.”

The royal couple’s Hollywood circle of friends has reduced drastically amid the controversies that continue to trail them.

They have faced several issues in recent times, including the controversial Pat Tillman Award for service that Harry was honored with and their trip to Nigeria. However, none of their A-list pals have lent a voice to their plight, as they’ve seemingly lost contact with the former working royals.

According to Express, PR expert Ronn Torossian explained that Harry and Meghan’s reduced social circle can be chalked up to their “less appealing” state and a possible quest by the celebrities not to fall out with the royal family.

“It’s clear that several of Meghan’s high-profile friendships have cooled over the past few years,” Torossian told the news outlet.

He noted that the former “Suits” actress inadvertently confirmed this “when she gifted a limited batch of her American Riviera Orchard Jams,” as some of her famous friends, like Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, and the Clooneys, kept mute about it. However, it’s unclear if they received one of the 50 jam jars.

“Either situation, the lack of public support or the lack of gifting, would speak to the cooling of these relationships and the shrinking of her Hollywood circle,” Torossian explained.

Harry and Meghan relocated to the US in 2020 after resigning as senior working royals to lead a more private life.

In the years following their exit from the royal family, they quickly settled in their $14 million Montecito mansion and became a part of the Hollywood lifestyle.

They were thought to have formed a close bond with Oprah Winfrey following a 2021 interview with the legendary TV host, in which they made several bombshell accusations against the British monarchy.

However, Harry and Meghan raised eyebrows after they were not seen at Winfrey’s star-studded 69th birthday bash in 2023, leaving many to speculate if they still maintained contact with the ace media personality.

According to PR expert Torossian, the Sussexes might be snubbed by their Hollywood A-listers, who to remain in the British monarchy’s good graces.

“The ongoing media scrutiny and public controversies surrounding Harry and Meghan make associating with them less appealing for some celebrities,” Torossian explained. “Additionally, some may want to avoid any potential fallout with the reigning British Royal Family.”

“It’s not necessarily about Harry or Meghan themselves, but rather the complex and polarizing controversies that continue to follow them despite their attempts to step back from public life,” he added.

Torossian’s sentiment mirrors that of late Princess Diana’s butler, Paul Burrell, who shared that Harry and Meghan’s “circle is getting smaller and smaller” and that their A-list pals are “dropping like flies.”

“Some already have done – Oprah no longer seems involved with them, and some other celebrities have also dropped them,” he told Closer!

Burrell also noted that Hollywood seemed to be now bored with them, explaining that Americans “love the royal family” and are realizing that Harry and Meghan are a “sideshow” and not the “main event.”

“Back in the day, the A-listers were riding on the moment – Harry and Meghan were the most popular couple in the country at one time when they got married, but there’s since been a decline,” the former royal staff shared.

Harry and Meghan’s Hollywood pals have “turned down recent invites” from them, including Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, who reportedly snubbed an invitation to Archie’s fifth birthday party.

Other pals who are also distancing themselves from the couple include George and Amal Clooney, who denied them an invitation to their Albie Awards in October.

Burrell told The New York Post more recently that celebrities “would rather be associated” with Prince William and Kate Middleton rather than the Sussexes.

“The true A-listers, who move in those circles, realize that Harry and Meghan’s brand isn’t as popular or as valuable, to be associated with as the real royal brand, and I can see people dropping like flies around them,” Burrell said.