Kim Kardashian ‘Done’ With Meghan Markle After Her ‘Diva Demands’ Overshadowed Kris Jenner Celebration

Kris Jenner‘s James Bond–themed 70th birthday bash was one for the books: On Nov. 8, members of the Hollywood A-list descended on billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ $165 million Beverly Hills mansion to eat, drink and dance the night away. Guests such as Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber and Beyoncé were treated to a caviar bar, 007-inspired martinis and roulette tables and games of poker. Transplanted royals Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,were also among the revelers — and by all accounts appeared to have a great time. But just a few days later, photos shared by Jenner and her daughter Kim Kardashian featuring the couple mysteriously disappeared from social media.

According to a source, Harry and Meghan realized their attendance was a bad look in light of Harry’s recent attempts to mend fences with his father, King Charles III. (Kris’ party lasted well into the following morning, and Nov. 9 is solemnly observed as Remembrance Day in the U.K.; Meghan was conspicuously not wearing the traditional British poppy.) “Once Harry and Meghan left Kris’ it dawned on them that they had a major PR headache on their hands,” the source tells Star, adding that the pair requested that Kris and Kim remove the pictures from their Instagram pages. It was an order the reality stars did not take kindly. Now, the scandal — dubbed “photo-gate” — has led to an all-out war between Kim, 45, and former Suits star Meghan, 44. “Kim and Kris had just thrown the showbiz event of the year, and it became totally overshadowed by Harry and Meghan’s diva demands,” explains the source. “Kim’s been nothing but generous and welcoming to Meghan, so this felt like a major betrayal. She’s outraged.”

Severed Connection

Kim and Meghan’s relationship had been a mutually beneficial one for years. The source says Kim offered Meghan advice and helped her re-acclimate to Hollywood after Meghan and Harry, 41, shocked royal watchers by decamping to Montecito, Calif., back in 2020. “Kim felt sorry for them. She knows what it’s like to be under scrutiny, and it also felt cool to be acquainted with royalty, which counts for a lot in the social scheme of things. Kim and Kris were happy to be opening doors for them.”

While Meghan, who has been doggedly trying to create a lifestyle empire with her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, and product line, As Ever, was warned her brand could be tarnished by getting close to the reality stars, she opted to keep the billionaire Skims founder close. “She respects the Kardashians and admires them enormously for everything they’ve achieved,” says the source. “Kim and Kris have been extremely useful to her.”

Now, their good will has run out. Kris and Kim took down the pics without public comment — but Kim “couldn’t believe she was essentially commanded to delete her own photos,” says the source. “She’s never been in this position before, it’s always her calling the shots in these situations. Here she was inviting them past the velvet rope and they repay her by acting like they’re too good to be seen partying with her. It’s a slap in the face — and one she can’t let slide.”

At An Impasse

The mom of two doesn’t feel she did anything wrong. “Meghan’s pretty unapologetic, she says she’s just networking and there’s no sinister agenda going on,” says the source. In a telling new interview in Harper’s Bazaar, the duchess shared her theory about giving herself grace. “There’s no such thing as perfect. I, too, get to make mistakes,” she told the mag, noting that she tries not to focus too much on the perception people have of her. “The moment that you start making all of your personal decisions based on external judgment, then you lose your authenticity.”

Kim’s friends are urging her to dump Meghan once and for all. “A lot of people in Kim’s world are telling her to walk away and wash her hands of Meghan, and that she’s a snobby, shallow social climber who’s not worth dealing with,” says the source. “It’s anyone’s guess if the Kardashian family will want anything to do with Meghan moving forward,” adds the source, “but the word is that Kim’s done with her.”