Are Meghan Markle And Ellen DeGeneres Still Friends? What We Know
Meghan Markle lost many friends after she became a member of the British royal family, but Ellen DeGeneres wasn't one of them. The two stars first became acquainted at a dog rescue shelter where DeGeneres convinced Meghan to adopt a dog. The comedian turned talk show host admitted that she completely forgot about the encounter but hinted on her eponymous show that she wanted to be invited to Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry. She and the Duchess of Sussex eventually became good friends, and DeGeneres even got to be one of the first people to meet Harry and Meghan's firstborn son, Prince Archie. "I fed Archie, I held Archie. ... He weighs 15 pounds, which, the exchange rate, I believe, is 17 dollars here," she quipped (via Harper's Bazaar).
DeGeneres also told eager audience members that Archie took after his father. Royal pundits will recall that the British press ruthlessly tore Meghan apart both during and after her pregnancy, and following Archie's birth, DeGeneres took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to address her friend's harsh treatment at their hands, writing, "[Harry and Meghan are] the most down-to-earth, compassionate people."
She continued, "Imagine being attacked for everything you do, when all you're trying to do is make the world better." The two women remained friends after the Sussexes moved stateside, and in 2023, word got out that they had attended DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi's vow renewal ceremony, with a source telling Page Six that Meghan and DeGeneres remain "close friends." It appears this hasn't changed in the meantime.
It appears that these two are still thick as thieves
A lot has happened since Meghan Markle and Ellen DeGeneres' chance encounter at a dog shelter all those years ago, but there are plenty of surefire signs that the two remain close friends to this day. Aside from the former "Suits" star attending DeGeneres' vow renewal ceremony, the talk show host notably entrusted Meghan with one of her beloved chickens. In January 2024, DeGeneres took to Instagram to share that poor Sinkie had sustained a leg injury and wasn't healing up properly because her peers weren't being very considerate. "Our chickens were still picking on her so she had to be re-homed," the comedian wrote. "Luckily our friends Harry and Meghan's coop had room for one more."
The Duchess of Sussex sent DeGeneres an update after Sinkie got settled into her new home, which she also posted on Instagram. Meghan never switched the camera to selfie mode but she can be heard saying "hi" to Sinkie at the end of the video. The royal defector adopting one of DeGeneres' chickens came amid whispers that she had been advised to end their friendship, given the scandal that ended the formerly beloved talk show host's career. In 2020, DeGeneres faced accusations of creating a toxic workplace on "The Ellen Show" as well as allegations of sexual misconduct and racism, among other things. Her show didn't survive the scandal and ended its 19-year run in 2022.
"[Meghan has] been warned against purring this potentially toxic relationship with Ellen and advised that being associated with anything scandalous could result in her and Harry losing everything they've worked for, so it's best to steer clear," a source informed Closer Weekly (via The Mirror). However, it doesn't seem like the former actor is planning on kicking her famous friend to the curb any time soon.