Meghan Markle in shock as Real Housewives Jennifer Aiden, Leanne Locken, Teresa Giudice, and Jill Zarin refuse to take a selfie with her, questioning, “Who are you?” It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, a chance for Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex, to rub elbows with some of reality television’s biggest stars. But what was intended as a light-hearted moment quickly turned into an awkward and uncomfortable encounter, leaving the Royal in a state of shock.
The fateful meeting took place last month at a high-profile Hollywood event. Meghan, ever the social media-savvy Royal, spotted an opportunity to boost her online
presence and decided to approach a group of Real Housewives stars—Jennifer Aiden, Leanne Locken, Teresa Giudice, and Jill Zarin—for a group selfie. “She was so excited,” a source close to Meghan told us. “She loves the Real Housewives shows and thought it would be really cool to get a photo with some of the biggest names.” But the Housewives girls didn’t seem to share her enthusiasm.
As Meghan approached the group, a flurry of confused looks and whispered exchanges ensued among the reality stars. According to eyewitnesses, Jennifer Aiden was the first to speak up, bluntly asking, “Who are you?” The Duchess, taken aback by the unexpected question, stammered a response, “I’m… I’m Meghan. Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex.” But her explanation seemed to only further confuse the Housewives. Leanne Locken scrunched up her face and replied, “The Duchess of where?”
At this point, Meghan was starting to realize that her celebrity status was not resonating with this group. Still, she pressed on, politely asking if they would be willing to take a quick photo together. “Why would we want to take a picture with you?” Teresa Giudice chimed in. “We don’t even know who you are.” Jill Zarin, ever the outspoken one of the group, took it a step further, “Listen, honey, I don’t care if you’re the Queen of England. We’re not standing next to you for any pictures.
This is our moment, not yours.” Meghan’s face fell as she stood there, mouth agape, processing the rejection. After a few more moments of stunned silence, she simply turned and walked away, leaving the Housewives stars to continue their conversation.”We had no idea who she was,” Jennifer Aiden later admitted in an interview. “I mean, she introduced herself as The Duchess of Sussex, but that doesn’t really mean anything to us. We’re reality stars, not royalty watchers.”
Leanne Locken echoed a similar sentiment, “No offense to her, but I’m not about to interrupt my KN to take a picture with some random lady, even if she is a Duchess or whatever. We were there to have fun with our fans, not pose for photos with people we’ve never heard of.”As for Meghan, sources say she was absolutely mortified by the encounter. “She was completely blindsided,” the insider shared. “She genuinely thought the Housewives would be honored to take a picture with her. She had n Io idea they wouldn’t recognize her.”
The Duchess reportedly retreated to a quiet corner of the event, fighting back tears. It wasn’t until later in the evening that a member of her staff was able to inform the reality stars of Meghan’s royal status. Once they realized who she was, they felt awful. “The source continued, “But by that point, Meghan had already left. She was so embarrassed; she just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.”In the days following the awkward incident, the Housewives stars have expressed regret over their treatment of Meghan.
“If I had known she was actually a real Duchess, I would have handled it differently,” admitted Teresa Giudice. “I don’t want her to think we were being rude on purpose.”Jennifer Aiden echoed a similar sentiment, “I feel terrible. We didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. We were just confused because we had no idea who she was. I wish we had been more gracious.”Leanne Locken, known for her feisty persona on The Real Housewives of Dallas, was perhaps the most apologetic. “Meghan, if you’re reading this, I’m so sorry. I can be a bit abrasive sometimes, and I clearly didn’t recognize the importance of who you are.
Please accept my sincerest apologies.”As for Jill Zarin, she has remained uncharacteristically quiet on the matter, choosing not to publicly comment. But sources say she too feels remorseful about her harsh words to the Duchess.For Meghan Markle, this encounter is likely to leave a lasting sting. As a member of the British royal family, she is used to being recognized and treated with a certain level of reverence.
To be so blatantly disregarded by a group of reality stars was undoubtedly a humbling and humiliating experience. However, some royal experts believe this incident could actually work in Meghan’s favor in the long run. “It shows that she’s still down to earth and approachable despite her royal title,” noted one journalist. “The public loves to see that the Royals are just like us sometimes.”Only time will tell how Meghan chooses to move forward from this awkward encounter, but one thing is certain: she’ll think twice before asking the Real Housewives for a selfie again.
