Meghan Markle once again found herself at the center of controversy, this time at the Los Angeles Children's Hospital Gala.
Dressed in a striking red gown, she certainly drew attention—both positive and negative—but this time the criticism didn’t just come from tabloids and Twitter trolls. The Hollywood elite, it seems, have also begun to distance themselves from the Duchess. At the forefront of this apparent cold shoulder was none other than Jamie Lee Curtis, a Hollywood legend with decades of experience in the industry—and, of course, an actual baroness by marriage.
The biannual gala, which attracts a wide array of Hollywood stars eager to support charitable causes, quickly became the Meghan Markle show. After all, it’s hard to miss a woman clad in fiery red, especially at a children's hospital charity event, where such bold sartorial choices felt a little out of place. But Meghan, unfazed by the rules of occasion, seemed intent on commanding the spotlight.
According to reports, Jamie Lee Curtis was among many stars who kept their distance from Meghan. Curtis, who has never sought to flaunt her aristocratic title, wasn’t about to risk being drawn into Meghan’s orbit. One can only imagine that had they crossed paths, Meghan might have seized the opportunity for a rank comparison—"Oh, Jamie, you're a baroness? How quaint. I’m a Royal Duchess... and, well, a princess, too."
Meghan’s team reportedly provided a ready excuse for her distancing from fellow celebrities, suggesting that she preferred to avoid posing for photos with other stars to not distract from the event's charitable cause. This claim feels a bit disingenuous, considering Meghan has never hesitated to hobnob with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney in the past. It seems unlikely that she suddenly cares about keeping the spotlight off herself or avoiding backlash on social media.
Interestingly, Meghan's title doesn’t appear to be earning her any additional favor in Hollywood. While she continues to wield it as a marker of exclusivity, her approach to royalty appears to contrast sharply with the way others, like Curtis, handle such distinctions. Jamie Lee Curtis has held her title with humility and discretion, never leveraging it for public clout or recognition. She and her husband, Christopher Guest, have lived in Hollywood for decades without feeling the need to capitalize on their aristocratic status.
In contrast, Meghan seems to treat her duchess title as a VIP pass to the "cool" crowd in Hollywood, a way to position herself within the celebrity elite. She could have used this gala as a moment to show her commitment to philanthropy, but once again, the focus shifted from the charitable cause to Meghan’s fashion choices and her apparent desire to be in the limelight. Observers couldn’t help but notice that once again, her actions overshadowed the cause she claimed to champion.
Her ongoing struggles to connect with Hollywood’s A-list elite resemble a never-ending game of "She's Just Not That Into You." The more Meghan tries to straddle the line between fame and philanthropy, the more she seems to alienate potential allies. Her apparent desperation to stay in the spotlight—and her lack of close friendships with industry insiders—are becoming more glaring. Perhaps Meghan is unfazed by the mounting backlash; after all, she’s long been a polarizing figure. She’s carved out a niche as a royal-turned-Hollywood socialite—a role that, it seems, brings with it both eye rolls and occasional praise.
Will she ever truly be embraced by Hollywood’s elite? For now, it seems like Meghan will continue to circulate in circles that don’t fully accept her, dodging interactions with figures like Jamie Lee Curtis, and hoping one day the A-listers will offer a nod of approval.
