David Foster Breaks Silence on Viral Meghan Markle 'Snub' Claims: 'Certainly No Snub'

A fleeting 10-second red carpet clip was enough to send social media into a frenzy, with claims that David Foster had deliberately snubbed Meghan Markle at a charity gala quickly going viral. What appeared to be a brief and awkward exchange soon became the latest royal controversy to ignite online debate.

Now, the 76-year-old music producer is setting the record straight, insisting the moment was misinterpreted. Foster has pushed back against the speculation, making clear that what appeared to be a snub was, in his account, nothing of the sort.

David Foster Insists There Was 'Certainly No Snub'

Foster said he had already spoken with Prince Harry and Meghan 'at the entrance 10 minutes before the red carpet encounter' that later spread across social media. He described the couple as having 'graciously and selflessly' given their time at the event, adding that they 'went beyond to engage with everyone' who was there.

'Harry and Meghan are dear friends of mine,' he explained. The Grammy-winning producer was adamant that nothing untoward had taken place.

'Anyone watching can see there was no awkward moment and certainly no snub,' he said, dismissing the uproar over his 'simple positioning' as a 'hurtful lie.' A source also backed Foster's account to Page Six, confirming that Markle, 45, and Harry, 41, had greeted the producer before the viral clip was filmed.

Why Insiders Say Foster 'Genuinely Just Didn't See' Meghan

Sources close to Foster have since given the Daily Mail a fuller account of what unfolded on the red carpet that night. One insider said Foster 'genuinely just didn't see' Meghan standing beside him during the brief photo call.

'He's always been a big fan of Diana and he'd never snub either of them,' the source said, referring to Harry's late mother, Princess Diana. 'It was a genuine moment where he didn't see them and nobody really thought much of it. It's nothing.'

A second insider said Foster had been 'so excited to see Harry and Meghan', pointing to his long-standing friendship with the couple, who have a connection through Foster's wife, Katharine McPhee. 'As host of the evening, David had a lot going on at the moment. David was doing interviews in that moment too,' the insider explained.

Foster had 'already said hi [to Meghan and Harry] before' the now-viral exchange took place, the insider added. 'They had already said hi before that photo moment. There were lots of hugs and David introduced Harry and Meghan to his other family there.'

What the 10-Second Clip Actually Shows and What It Doesn't

The controversy centres on footage from the David Foster Foundation's 40th anniversary gala, held on 7 August in Victoria, British Columbia, as part of a weekend celebrating four decades of the organisation's work supporting Canadian families whose children need life-saving organ transplants. The gala raised $14.5 million for the foundation.

Video from the red carpet appears to show Markle smiling and gesturing towards Foster as he moves into position for photographs, only for him to walk past without visibly acknowledging her. His wife, Katharine McPhee, then joined the group before Foster returned and posed with the Sussexes.

The footage was subsequently widely circulated online, with some viewers interpreting the brief interaction as a deliberate slight. Foster, however, has rejected that reading, saying he had already greeted Harry and Meghan before the red carpet encounter and that the moment was simply a matter of positioning for photographs.

The pair's history runs deeper than one awkward photo call. In 2019, Foster helped Harry and Meghan arrange a private stay at a friend's mansion on Vancouver Island during their Christmas break from royal duties. Foster later said he was 'happy to help them to find a respite just to take a little time off'.

The Sussexes have not publicly responded to the viral video. For Foster, however, the message is clear: what some viewers interpreted as an awkward red carpet snub was, according to the producer himself, an innocent mix-up involving the positioning of guests for photographs rather than a deliberate slight against his longtime friends.