David Foster Addresses Rumors That He Snubbed ‘Dear Friend’ Meghan Markle

The 76-year-old music mogul says the moment fans dissected online was nothing more than photographers jostling for position, not a cold shoulder. Now he's explaining exactly what happened in the minutes before the cameras started rolling.

David Foster is setting the record straight after being accused of snubbing Meghan Markle, 45, on the red carpet at the gala celebrating the 40th anniversary of his eponymous foundation.

In a clip that went viral earlier this week, Meghan and Prince Harry were spotted posing for photos on the red carpet when Foster walked past them. Meghan can be seen gesturing toward him as the producer strolls by with his wife, Katharine McPhee, trailing close behind.

Moments later, the two couples reassembled for a group photo, with the women positioned in the middle and their husbands flanking either side. Harry can be seen muttering something to Foster that leaves everyone laughing.

Despite the lighthearted exchange, viewers online quickly decided Foster had deliberately brushed off Meghan, and the theory spread fast. The hitmaker is now firing back, insisting the whole narrative is a misread.

In a statement given to People, he pushed back on reports that he had snubbed the Duchess of Sussex at the event, held Friday evening, August 7, in British Columbia, Canada.

"As the host of the David Foster and Friends foundation event, I had already greeted our friends, the Duke and Duchess, at the entrance 10 minutes before the red carpet encounter," Foster said.

He continued, "They both, graciously and selflessly, gave their time and went beyond to engage with everyone. Harry and Meghan are dear friends of mine. Anyone watching can see there was no awkward moment and certainly no snub."

"It's sad that certain media chose to deceive a red carpet encounter for clickbait," he added. "They turned simple 'positioning' to get the best photo into a hurtful lie."

The gala kicked off a weekend-long celebration marking 40 years of the David Foster Foundation, which helps Canadian families cover costs when their children need life-saving organ transplants.

The black-tie affair, which also drew stars like Adam Levine, took place in the city of Victoria and brought in $14.5 million for the foundation. A free concert followed the next day at Victoria's Inner Harbour.

The two couples have history that stretches back years. Meghan and McPhee, 42, actually go way back themselves, having attended the same high school in Los Angeles.

The women reconnected as adults, and their husbands eventually built a friendship of their own."My husband has a really, really beautiful relationship with Harry," McPhee told Access Hollywood in 2020.

"They're like, they're so cute. They're like father and son… We just stay in touch with them. But mostly, Meghan and I knew each other from childhood, but really Harry and my husband are friends," McPhee added. "It's really nice."

Back in 2019, Foster arranged for Meghan and Harry, 41, to stay at a mansion on Vancouver Island owned by a friend of his. He told the Daily Mail at the time that he was pleased the couple managed to "go under the radar for so long" during their stay.

"I felt honored that I was able to help Meghan there because I'm a Canadian, and we're a Commonwealth country; we're the Crown's. It's important to us, so I grew up with that kind of sentiment," he said. "I was really happy to be able to help them to find a respite just to take a little time off."