David Foster has denied snubbing his ‘dear friend’ Meghan Markle after he appeared to awkwardly ignore her attempt to greet him on the red carpet.
The record producer had been hosting a charity event in Canada last Friday when he walked towards Meghan, who was standing next to her husband Prince Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex eagerly extended her arm out to greet Foster, but he swiftly walked past to pose to the left of his wife Katharine McPhee for a group photo.
Meghan quickly tucked her floating arm behind her back before leaning into Harry for the picture – and a viral video of the moment led to claims he had snubbed her.
Now, Foster has hit back – explaining that he had already greeted Harry and Meghan ten minutes earlier at the David Foster Foundation event in Victoria, British Columbia.
Foster, 76, told Sussex-friendly US publication People in a statement: ‘As the host of the David Foster and Friends foundation event, I had already greeted our friends, the Duke and Duchess, at the entrance ten minutes before the red carpet encounter.
‘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.’
He added: ‘It’s sad that certain media chose to deceive a red carpet encounter for clickbait. They turned simple “positioning” to get the best photo into a hurtful lie.’
A representative for the Sussexes declined to comment to the Daily Mail today.
The Duchess of Sussex eagerly extends her arm out to greet David Foster as he nears her…
… but Foster swiftly walks past and Meghan quickly tucks her floating arm behind her back
Harry and Meghan then pose for a group photo with Foster and his wife Katharine McPhee
It comes after an insider told the Mail yesterday that Foster ‘wanted Harry and Meghan there’ and ‘genuinely just didn’t see’ her on the red carpet.
‘He’s always been a big fan of Diana and he’d never snub either of them,’ the source explained, referring to Harry’s late mother Princess Diana. ‘It was a genuine moment where he didn’t see them and nobody really thought much of it. It’s nothing.’
A second insider added that Foster was ‘so excited to see Harry and Meghan’ because he is ‘longtime friends’ with the couple, who also live in Montecito.
The apparent snub was an accident, the source claimed, noting that he was likely distracted by his hosting duties. They added: ‘As host of the evening, David had a lot going on. David was doing interviews in that moment too.’
The insider continued: ‘They had already said hi before that photo moment. There were lots of hugs and David introduced Harry and Meghan to his other family there.’
Body language expert Judi James has also analysed the moment, telling the Mail that Meghan was in ‘pose alert’ as Foster and McPhee arrived on the red carpet.
She said: ‘Smiling at David Foster, she graciously extends an arm with hand palm-up to sweep them onto the red carpet and into the pose beside her, beckoning and gesturing to announce that they should step in front of her as they do so.
‘When Foster appears to walk past without replying to Meghan’s smile of greeting, she lowers her head and busies herself arranging her dress as an act of distraction.
‘Meghan looks happy and slightly relieved when everyone has locked into her line-up and she returns to her professional mode – although Harry rather impolitely disrupts the arrangement by leaning back to chat to the man known as his “surrogate father” behind the wives’ backs.’
At this, the Duchess ‘performed an act of realignment by pulling Harry closer and laughing for no apparent reason apart from to perhaps negate any suggestion of rebellion and a lack of manners on his behalf’.
Harry and Meghan pose ahead of the David Foster Foundation 40th anniversary celebration
Meghan and McPhee, who went to school together, pose ahead of the event in Canada
Harry and Foster are photographed at the charity event last Friday in Victoria, British Columbia
Foster and McFee are joined by Harry and Meghan on the top table at last Friday’s event
Meghan and Harry were the clear guests of honour, given they were notably seated next to Foster and wife McPhee inside the venue.
Harry wore a black tuxedo and bow tie while Meghan was dressed in a black maxi one-shouldered gown by Canadian designer Greta Constantine, accessorised with Diana’s diamond and sapphire earrings.
The David Foster Foundation provides financial support to Canadian families with children need life-saving organ transplants.
The event, which was also attended by Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine, raised C$14.5million (£7.71million) for the charity.
Harry and Meghan have long been friends with Foster and McPhee, and were once pictured on a double date together.
In 2019, Foster arranged for the Duke and Duchess to stay at a close friend’s mansion on Vancouver Island.
He told the Mail at the time: ‘I felt honoured that I was able to help Meghan there because I’m a Canadian, and we’re a Commonwealth country – we’re the Crown’s.
‘It’s important to us, so I grew up with that kind of sentiment. I was really happy to be able to help them to find a respite just to take a little time off.’
The mansion – a secluded waterfront estate in North Saanich, British Columbia – was owned by Foster’s close friend, whose identity he did not reveal.
McPhee went to school with Meghan and told Access Hollywood in 2020 that her husband and Harry had a ‘really, really beautiful relationship’.
‘They’re so cute. They’re like father and son,’ McPhee said. ‘We just stay in touch with them [the Sussexes]. But mostly, Meghan and I knew each other from childhood, but really Harry and my husband are friends. It’s really nice.’
