David Foster denies snubbing Meghan Markle after red carpet interaction with Prince Harry

Music producer David Foster has denied claims he snubbed Meghan Markle during a red carpet moment at his charity event that went viral on social media. Video footage showed Foster walking past Markle as she appeared to greet him and Prince Harry, before he returned moments later with his wife, Katharine McPhee, to pose for photos with the royal couple, prompting speculation online about a deliberate slight.

Foster explained that as host of the David Foster and Friends foundation event on 7 August, he had already greeted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ten minutes before the red carpet encounter, and said the footage was simply "positioning" for a photograph rather than any snub. He described Harry and Meghan as "dear friends," criticising some media for turning the moment into "a hurtful lie" for clickbait. Foster and Markle share a long friendship built largely through McPhee, who knew Markle from musical theatre years ago, and Foster previously helped arrange the couple's private Vancouver Island home in 2019 as they stepped back from senior royal duties.