Signs Oprah Winfrey Is No Longer Friends With Meghan Markle & Prince Harry

There are very few people who can say they are friends with Oprah Winfrey. Entering the social circle of the world-famous media mogul isn't an easy feat, which is why people like Meghan Markle had to ascend to royal status before it happened. The connection that Oprah and Markle struck up was fundamental for the women to sit down and do a historic interview in which Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, revealed some jarring stories about the British royal family. It's been a few years since the interview, though, and it looks like this friendship has grown cold.

The biggest hint that Oprah doesn't want anything to do with Meghan Markle or Prince Harry anymore came from the former TV host herself while on the podcast "Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa." On it, Oprah referred to the former royals as "Sussexes" in a mock tone. And then, to reiterate that it was her intention, she repeated it with the same tone that emphasized the "-exes" part.

Oprah's dig at the couple may be related to the fact that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry continue to use their titles — Duke and Duchess of Sussex — even though they decided to step away from their royal duties in 2020 and move to Montecito, California. We have to acknowledge that this type of dig isn't normally offered to people that you consider friends. Does this mean their friendship didn't end on the best terms?

Hollywood insider Rob Schuter might have the answer. He wrote on Substack about another event that was curious, to say the least. Meghan Markle's 2025 birthday was a private celebration with barely any guests. On Instagram, the "Suits" alum shared a picture that showed no faces but her own, but Oprah clearly wasn't among the attendees. Schuter insisted there's no bad blood between them, though. He wrote (per Radar Online): "There's no feud. But it's clear the dynamics have shifted. Meghan is focused on her family and her work. And some people have moved on."

Oprah's not alone. There's evidence of other A-list former allies turning on Markle and Prince Harry. According to a PR expert that spoke with the New York Post, one big hint that Markle's pool of friends is getting smaller is the fact she launched her own lifestyle label, American Riviera Orchard (which got rebranded into As Ever), and none of the stars she used to consider close friends posted or commented about it; including Tyler Perry, George and Amal Clooney, and Oprah. The expert attributed the movement to A-listers not wanting to get tangled up in the complex relationship between the royals and the royal family.

In 2021, Oprah gave the first hints her friendship with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was only close for a short while. While on the "Making Space with Hoda Kotb" podcast, the media mogul stated (per Just Jared): "I don't have a lot of friends." She went on to name Gayle King, Maria Shriver, and her personal trainer Bob Greene, but not the royals.