Jessica Mulroney has been in the spotlight for years thanks to her career in the fashion industry, but she recently made headlines for a whole nother reason.
The stylist, 40, became the center of controversy on June 10 after lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter revealed that Mulroney had threatened her livelihood. In an Instagram video, Exeter blasted the Canada native’s “textbook white privilege” and claimed Mulroney had taken “offense” to the So Sasha founder calling on other influencers to speak up amid the Black Lives Matter movement.
“During the span of about a week or so, Jessica basically ticked every single box of what a white woman should absolutely not do during the biggest racial uproar in history. For her to threaten me — a single mom, a single black mom — during a racial pandemic blows my mind,” Exeter said. “The goal here is genuine, transformative change — not optical and performative bulls–t. You cannot be posting that you stand in solidarity while attempting to silence somebody via text.”
Mulroney apologized in the comments section of the video for “any hurt” she caused and also referenced her longtime friendship with Meghan Markle.
“As I told you privately, I have lived a very public and personal experience with my closest friend where race was front and centre,” she wrote. “It was deeply educational. I learned a lot from that. I promise to continue to learn and listen on how I can use my privilege to elevate and support black voices.”
However, Exeter later shared a screenshot of a direct message she received from Mulroney that read, “Liable [sic] suit. Good luck.” In response, the fashion expert issued a more formal response on her Instagram feed, writing in part, “[Sasha] rightfully called me out for not doing enough when it came to engaging in the important and difficult conversation around race and injustice in our society. I took it personally and that was wrong. I know I need to do better. Those of us with a platform must use it to speak out.”
In the wake of the feud, CTV removed Mulroney’s show I Do, Redo from its channels and platforms, and she exited her role as a contributor on Good Morning America. Her husband, Ben Mulroney, subsequently stepped down from the Canadian entertainment news show etalk, calling for a replacement anchor who is “Black, Indigenous or a person of color.”
Scroll down for five things to know about Jessica.