Jessica Mulroney Released Text Messages To “Exonerate” Herself
The National Post has a big puff piece out about Meghan Markle’s ex-BFF Jessica Mulroney‘s PR disaster from the summer where she threatened to ruin Black influencer, Sasha Exeter‘s career over a dispute they had which may have been (absolutely was) relational to Jessica’s privilege and complete unawareness off said privilege. The National Post’s piece, written by Barbara Kay, includes text messages and DMs between Sasha and Jessica, which Barbara believes exonerates Jessica. But after reading the conversations, I don’t think Meghan Markle is going to give Jessica her BFF heart pendant back anytime soon.
So back in the summer, Sasha posted a general call-to-action for influencers to use their platform to support the Black Lives Matter movement after the murder of George Floyd. Sasha didn’t name names, but Jessica thought the post was about her, and then threatened to fuck with Sasha’s livelihood and money by telling brands that Sasha works with that Sasha was mean to her. It backfired on Jessica. After Sasha went public with Jessica’s threats, she lost jobs over it, got smeared in the headlines, Meghan Markle cut ties, and her husband, Ben Mulroney, “left” his job at etalk. But Jessica is starting her comeback, I guess, because she’s now got a puff piece defending her.
Jessica said that on the day that Sasha posted her call-to-action, Jessica promoted her show I Do, Redo on Instagram because she had contractual obligations. Jessica also claimed that before she even saw Sasha’s post, she posted a Martin Luther King, Jr. quote. According to Jessica, Sasha sarcastically replied to the quote in a DM, and when Jessica asked what was wrong with her post, the snowball started rolling downhill. Sasha wanted her to talk about BLM instead of promoting her show and Jessica replied:
“I’ve spoken out about racism before. I believe that the real work needs to be teaching my children, doing work behind the scenes.”
Jessica claimed that Sasha didn’t like her response:
[Sasha] says she “can’t find the words” to express her displeasure. “I am deeply disappointed in the response.” Then, ominously, “But your response will be discussed with my community and followers.”
…Sasha goes on: “If you cannot be uncomfortable for a few minutes and fear what people will say to you, just imagine how ppl of colour have felt their entire lives. It is a cop out. It is cowardly. It is sad and pathetic.”
At this point, Jessica told me, she was in a state of shock. She reaches out to dial down the tension: “Hey girl. I’d love to chat with you.” They talk. It seems to go well. Jessica tags Sasha on IG: “Thanks Sasha. I appreciate your kindness and understanding. You really opened my eyes and I appreciate it more than you know.”
Shit still went even more south from there when Jessica asked Sasha about tagging her on Instagram to call her out:
Sasha: “I SURE DID….I posted it the night I originally sent you that message…Sorry. Not sorry.“
Jessica: “Just seemed unnecessary.” …
Sasha: “So was your relentless promoting posts” (she apparently meant contractually obligatory posts on I Do, Redo.)
Jessica: “like your Tetley Tea post” (Sasha was also posting her brand ads as she was obliged to).
Sasha: “…Don’t ever compare yourself to me. Ever.”
Jessica: “Give people time to do the right thing.”
Sasha (again): “Don’t ever compare yourself to me. Especially right now.”
Classic line, thank you Naomi Campbell. Jessica and Sasha continue their back and forth. Jessica seemed to think she learned her lesson and earned forgiveness after their chat, while Sasha clearly has the opposite thought:
Jessica: “I thought I deserved a conversation before calling me out.”
Sasha: “Girl, everyone is calling you out. You were not dialed in to see that.”
Jessica: “(then) I guess our friendship wasn’t what I thought. I tried my best to make it right.”
Sasha: “DO NOT MAKE YOURSELF THE VICTIM HERE! …Not one person that I called out for their poor judgment and behaviour was ‘disappointed’ or did make it about themselves. Nor did they have the balls to compare themselves to me as a black woman and what I’m (putting) on my feed.” You still have a lot of work to do moving forward. That is clear.”
You can read the rest of the messages yourself here, but they’re all the way at the bottom of the article. The first 3/4 is just Barbara Kay defending Jessica and painting her as the victim of a harassment campaign. But Jessica did admit she threatened to sue Sasha and deleted one of the messages to Sasha:
There was a later exchange, after the video came out, in which Jessica alluded to a potential libel suit. She told me she was on medication at the time, and in a state of high anxiety late at night. She never followed through.
She told me that she had deleted one of her own messages. I asked if there was anything that could be considered threatening or insulting and she swears it was not. She said the texts referred to the brand she could contact, and she didn’t want them implicated in the controversy.
Sasha replied to the article on her Instagram Stories and said that she’d make a comment soon.
It’s amazing that for someone who was “canceled,” Jessica still managed to get a whole article written about her in a newspaper. It must be so tough to be canceled like that and have no one to turn to except a writer with a mass media organization. Poor woman!
Pic: Instagram