Award season is that enchanting time of the year when Hollywood’s elite don their most extravagant borrowed ensembles, shower each other with praise for merely existing, and walk away with gift bags worth more than the average person’s yearly salary.
Yet, despite the dazzling display of wealth and prestige, there is one individual who will, under no circumstances, be stepping onto the stage as a presenter at the 2025 Academy Awards—Meghan Markle. Her absence is about as shocking as the sun rising in the east. The Oscars are a celebration of filmmaking, a night reserved for actors, directors, and industry professionals, not for a former cable TV actress who rebranded herself as a professional victim. That, however, hasn’t stopped her from reportedly attempting to secure a spot at the ceremony—because, of course, she did.
The Academy recently revealed its final roster of Oscar presenters, featuring a lineup of true Hollywood powerhouses. Harrison Ford, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, and even Oprah Winfrey—Meghan’s one-time confidante—are all included. Even Rachel Zegler, despite her recent controversies, made the cut. Yet Meghan’s name is nowhere to be found. She has never been a presenter, never attended the event, and never starred in a film of any significance. Her most notable movie credit is a minor role in a Hallmark-tier romantic comedy from years ago, hardly the kind of filmography that earns a prime-time moment on Hollywood’s most prestigious night. That didn’t stop her, however, from allegedly pitching herself for a special segment in which she, as a Los Angeles native, would deliver an emotional address about California’s wildfires. Because, naturally, when the industry’s best and brightest gather to celebrate their cinematic triumphs, what they really need is a lecture from Meghan Markle on climate change. The Academy, in an uncharacteristic display of common sense, reportedly rejected the idea with the same swiftness that Netflix axed Pearl.
Meghan’s fixation on the Oscars isn’t about film, artistic achievement, or even industry recognition—it’s about status. She craves the validation of being seen among Hollywood’s elite, longing to be part of their world. Yet, no one in Tinseltown seems eager to embrace her. When they do, it’s purely transactional—like when Tyler Perry offered her a place to stay out of sheer sympathy. Even Oprah, who once played a key role in boosting Meghan and Harry’s public image with their tell-all interview, did not extend an invitation to this prestigious event. That speaks volumes about how far Meghan has fallen.
As always, her PR machine will likely go into overdrive to spin this exclusion into yet another sob story. Perhaps she’ll claim she stayed home for her rarely-seen children, suggest she declined an invitation on her own terms, or even blame the royal family for overshadowing her once again. If Meghan has accomplished anything, it’s unintentionally highlighting just how performative Hollywood truly is. The Oscars are an extravagant, self-congratulatory spectacle where multimillionaires hand each other golden statues and pretend they’re changing the world. In theory, Meghan should fit right in. Yet, even in an industry built on illusions, she remains too much. She dominates every room she enters, transforms every moment into a personal PR opportunity, and ultimately proves to be more trouble than she’s worth. Even in a landscape filled with egos, opportunists, and carefully crafted images, Hollywood has its limits—and Meghan Markle, it seems, simply doesn’t make the cut. Maybe next year, Meghan—though, let’s be honest, there’s not a chance.
