David Foster has responded to fierce online commentary that erupted after a red carpet interaction with Meghan Markle at a high-profile event.
The music producer addressed the controversy that ensued after Meghan and Prince Harry arrived at his event, the David Foster Foundation’s 40th anniversary gala, in Victoria, Canada at the weekend.
Footage doing the rounds on social media showed Meghan walking with her husband as she reached out to greet a man beside her.
The man was the multi-Grammy Award winner, who appeared to bypass the Duchess’ outstretched hand before turning his attention to Harry and offering him a smile.
The video, which was shared online with the caption “A brief red carpet exchange between a music legend and Meghan Markle has sent the internet into overdrive”, had people talking in the comments.
The video quickly prompted a wave of speculation from social media users, with some labelling the interaction a “ghosting”.
“He totally ghosted her but did acknowledge Harry,” one person wrote..
“This was soooo obvious,” added another.
But not everyone agreed, with some arguing the encounter with the music star was innocent.
“What’s wrong about this, she’s so kind giving a space for picture taking, where’s the snub?????” one person said.
“He walked by her as she was guiding him politely to take a photo. lol wtf is wrong with you people?” another added.
Foster has since set the the record straight, saying there was “certainly no snub.”
“As the host of the David Foster and Friends foundation event, I had already greeted our friends, the Duke and Duchess, at the entrance 10 minutes before the red carpet encounter,” Foster told People.
“They both, graciously and selflessly, gave their time and went beyond to engage with everyone. Harry and Meghan are dear friends of mine. Anyone watching can see there was no awkward moment and certainly no snub.”
Despite the exchange fuelling online speculation, Meghan and Harry later posed for a photo with Foster and his wife, singer Katharine McPhee.
The four have been known to each other for some time, with Foster being a long-standing friend of Harry while Katharine has known Meghan since their childhoods.
During an interview with Access Hollywood in 2020, McPhee detailed her husband and Harry’s “beautiful” friendship.
“My husband has a really, really beautiful relationship with Harry. They’re so cute, they’re like father and son. We just stay in touch with them,” she told the outlet.
The American actress also revealed details of her and Meghan’s school days.
“She went to a school called Immaculate Heart, as did I,” Ms McPhee said of Meghan at the time.
“She went there for middle school and high school, and I went there just for middle school. My sister was in her class, my sister was in middle school with her, and I was in middle school when she was in high school, so I did a couple shows with her.”
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