Some Celebrities Learn After Being Called Out For Racism. Others Hire PR.
It’s true that Canadian celebrity is a very small world. But up until this spring, few people working in Canada had more clout or connections than Jessica Mulroney. As a stylist, she appeared to befriend many of the famous people she worked with, including Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, Mindy Kaling and — most notably — Meghan Markle. Toronto Life called her the Canadian Gwyneth Paltrow.
While there were whispers about her behaviour in certain Toronto social circles, according to Lainey Lui of Lainey Gossip, her position and connections — she’s the heiress to Brown’s Shoes and married to the son of a former prime minister — protected her from outright criticism.
That changed in June.
During the period of reckoning on racism and privilege that followed George Floyd’s death, influencer Sasha Exeter, who is Black, brought attention to the way Mulroney’s public persona didn’t line up with her private interactions. Exeter said Mulroney had used her power to threaten Exeter’s brand partnerships because she felt personally slighted by Exeter asking influencers to do more to stop racism. And after Mulroney publicly apologized “for any hurt I caused,” she sent Exeter a private message threatening to sue her for libel.
Mulroney quickly lost brand deals, one by one, and took a step back from public view. But, a few months later, she resurfaced. She’s now back on Instagram, although she’s made her account private. She’s mostly posting photos of her kids, wedding styling, and inspirational quotes. Other recent posts have hinted at a new project.
Mulroney is one of many celebrities who’s now attempting a comeback after their racist behaviour hurt their careers over the summer. Lea Michele, who lost sponsorship deals after her Black “Glee” co-star Samantha Ware accused her of racist harassment, is now getting is now getting headlines for posting baby videos. The mega-popular reality show “Vanderpump Rules”fired cast members Stassi Schroeder...
