As soon as we learned that Virginia Roberts Giuffre had filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew, every single royal-watcher knew that the Royal Rota would do the most to push stories about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. That’s been happening for more than two years, and it’s as predictable as can be. Some bad news for Andrew? Well, did you hear that Meghan eats avocado toast?!? So what story is being conveniently pushed about the Sussexes this week? It actually started before Giuffre’s lawyers filed the suit – it’s the story about “why didn’t Harry and Meghan go to Barack Obama’s birthday party?” I have a lot of thoughts, actually. So did Camilla Tominey of the Telegraph (I’m not linking to her piece and this is just secondary coverage):
Royal commentator Camilla Tominey believes the omission of the Sussexes from Obama’s birthday party is no minor blip from the Obamas. Writing in The Telegraph, Tominey suggests there is cause to believe the previously happy-go-lucky relationship between the two couples may have soured.
“It arguably will not have gone down particularly well with a couple that have always put ‘family first’ to see Harry and Meghan being so openly critical of their Royal relatives during their Oprah interview in March,” Tominey said.
Harry and Meghan made broad claims against the royal family in the 90-minute program, which included statements the family had failed to support them and their mental health, and also an allegation by Meghan that a royal family member had made an issue of the colour of her son Archie’s skin before he was born. Tominey suggests the ‘attack’ by Harry and Meghan did not sit well with the Obamas, who have maintained a close and supportive relationship with the Queen, as well as Prince William and Kate Middleton in particular.
“When the Obamas returned to the UK in 2016, they made a point of popping into Kensington Palace, where they were introduced to a then three-year-old Prince George, ready for bed in his dressing gown, before sitting down to dinner with William, Kate and Harry,” Tominey wrote. “Last October, the former President made a point of supporting Prince William’s newly launched Earthshot Prize.”
Neither Barack or Michelle were invited to participate in the new charity initiative launched by Meghan the Sussexes’ joint foundation, Archewell. While celebrities including Hillary Clinton, Adele and fashion designer Stella McCartney were invited to promote the event, there was no word of an invitation extended to the Obamas.
Tominey supposes this could also be down to a will for the couple to avoid the negative press the initiative has received as being both “self-serving” and “woke”. While there’s no confirmation of bad blood between the two famous couples, the latest public slight does seem it could be an indication of a relationship gone awry.
First of all, the “relationship” between the Obamas and the Sussexes was always overblown. The Obamas have clearly known Harry for years and they liked him a great deal. But the Obamas have only met Meghan a few times. It’s not like they’re going on double-dates and it’s not like the Obamas have been quietly advising the Sussexes whatsoever. So much of the “Sussex-Obama” commentary has been just another version of “the British press thinks every Black person knows each other.”
Now, if you’re asking me if I think the Obamas are not particularly seeking a friendship with the Sussexes… for whatever reason, I don’t think Michelle Obama really cares at this point. MO’s statements after the Oprah interview were – in my opinion – very cold and she clearly didn’t want to be drawn into defending the Sussexes in any way, shape or form. A fact which speaks volumes to me. But I don’t think any of this is about “the Obamas hate the Sussexes because of wokeness” or “the Obamas are super-tight with the Queen and the Keens!” All of that is bullsh-t too. I think the Sussexes weren’t invited to the Martha’s Vineyard party because A) none of them have ever actually been that close and B) Obama was trying not to invite too many people.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
They aren’t friends. It’s funny the British press acts like they are. They do the same thing with Oprah.
This. The question itself from any including H&M supporters is odd. At best they’re work friendly.
Work friendly. That is exactly it.
Exactly. I don’t understand why people expected HM to be invited to Obama’s party.
So why did they invite her to their wedding?
Deleted
The Obamas weren’t invited to Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
They weren’t invited.
Disagree about the Oprah thing. They appear to be real friends now, although they weren’t at the time of the wedding. Rumor was they stayed in her guest house in Montecito for a while last July (and no, this wasn’t a tabloid rumor).
Work-friendly with Obama’s; friendly neighbors with Oprah
The only negative press Meghan birthday initiative received is from racist idiots in the us and Australia who pretend to be journalists. Everyone else who really understands and does real journalism is completely supportive of it . However camel toad and her fellow clowns in media on that long lost isle of relevance can’t seem to understand that people don’t care what they think
Sorry I meant uk not us . Type-o
Michelle did not want to comment on the interview Oprah did. I thought it was weird at first that she wouldnt even comment something about racism. I think they possibly dont know each other that well, and decided not to be involved in this drama. The fact that HM were not invited to Barack,s party is also to me a decision not to take part in the drama. they dont need that kind of press, this is a private party. They are not going to make it a circus. not the Obamas. I think it is true that they scaled back to only the people who are closest to them. John and Chrissy being there is proof they didnt invite just to make them look like rockstars, because chrissy would have been OUT.
If their intention was to avoid a circus they would have avoid CT lol. My guess is that they were invited bc John was going to perform.
Michelle did not want to comment on the Oprah interview and f*ckin Jenna Bush should never have dragged Michelle into it. Michelle had an unspeakably hard balancing act for 8 years as first Lady. Let the Obamas enjoy retirement, they have THOUSANDS of friends and had to pick a fraction of that for invites. Tominey needs to take a long walk off a short pier. Anybody see Colbert? He had the hotel & flight booked and then got the un-invite. He & his wife empathized immediately and just visited MV for the weekend. [DM was wrong about Colbert owning a house there].
They have a two month baby. Why would they cross the United States for a birthday party? Also it would have caused huge headlines.
I am expecting news from the Obama’s some time in the future which will indicate a relationship.
Dear British royal commentators, it’s sweet that you think you understand American politics and politicians–but one of the main points of America is that we don’t give a flying fig about your queen and her children. Inasmuch as she is a figurehead for tiny island, we are polite. But inside, we are laughing our asses off and saying “Pleased to meet you!” just for kicks.
We like Harry. He married an American, you know.
That’s strange given that you are here posting about them, and that there are so many articles about the RF on this site.
I think it’s clear that Merricat meant we don’t care about the Queen or monarchy as a figurehead/institution needs to be respected and everything else considered through that lens, not that we don’t care about this as a topic of conversation.
Strange that an American would be commenting on a story about a former president?
I promise you the Obamas do not care about the Keens.
I neither know nor care who Camila Tominey is but she has no authority to ascribe motives to anything the Obamas do. She may be surprised to learn that the world is not BRF-centric. The Obamas certainly have other fish to fry and frankly are not tailoring their actions around what the Cambridges, the Sussexes, The Queen, etc. are doing. Shocking, I know.
I mean we “care” because its gossip and its a soap opera and it seems the british royal family just can’t stop being a soap opera, its been one for centuries now. But we don’t care in that we don’t think the queen is anointed by God or anything.
I suspect that most people here are like me: never cared before but now I’m paying attention and am morbidly fascinated by the dark macabre world of the Windsors. I never had anything but neutral to positive feelings befoere. Now I would like to see the whole farce come crashing to the ground.
I’m American(now Canadian) and can honestly say Americans care more than Canadians and we’re part of the commonwealth
Naaahhh, I’m Afro-Canadian but really nobody, except us royal gossipers/watchers, cares about this sad lot of miserable people. Americans don’t care anymore than Canadians. There are millions of Americans AND Canadians that don’t even know whether the UK is the same as GB, lots of Americans AND Canadians (Commonwealthers) that don’t even know that Queenie is the head of Canada so, no, both Americans and Canadians equally have zero to no interest in the BRF.
I think ‘care’ is a strong word. We have a gossipy interest in them because for us all they do is provide gossip for us. We’re not their subjects, or under any sort of jurisdiction. No one alive today remembers when the queen and her spawn had any real effect on our lives through politics, laws, taxes etc. They’re entertaining in that area. Diana was endearing and glamourous and tragic,
Then we’ve discovered over the last few years how racist they actually are. Some Americans, racist themselves, now look at them and say “we’ve found our people!” while the rest of us look at them with disgust, even rage. Plus Americans generally like an underdog, which Harry and Meghan became when they took on the BRF for their sanity and peace of mind.
Sorry, but previously this US citizen only noticed the RF when something big happened, and even then just barely paid attention. I only started noticing anything when I saw all the negative headlines about Meghan. I didn’t follow her previously so I did research to see if she really was as awful as the BM wanted to paint her. Coming down on H&M’s side was an informed decision, not one based on previous fandom for either side.
Spot on. Americans are obsessed with celebrities …Canadians, not as much.
Lol, we’re just enjoying the show.
This has NOTHING to do with the Cambridges. NOTHING. LOL. What on earth? The closeness (such that there was) was always between Harry and the Obamas, never Will and Kate and the Obamas.
Honestly, everything else aside, I think the Obamas are people who have been attacked enough just for breathing. I can see Michelle not wanting to get dragged into another similar situation where she’s attacked for publicly supporting Meghan. MO is so careful about what she says publicly. Meghan worked with one of Michelle’s initiatives last year (When We Vote maybe?) and called Michelle her friend, so I think even if Michelle disapproved of the Oprah interview, the Obamas are not cutting the Sussexes out. I think its probably a matter of the couples not being as close as the press made them out to be.
Plus with the birthday party – its across the country, during a pandemic, and Harry and Meghan have two small children. One is 2 months old. Maybe, just maybe, they weren’t going to attend bc of that, even if they were invited?
If the Cambridges were as close to the obama’s as Tominey claimed in this piece then why weren’t THEY invited?
Didn’t you hear? They’re going to be king and queen consort in 40 years, so they don’t leave the island anymore.
Pal, I don’t know if they are friends or not. They don’t have to be , they are very different people living very different lives and can make friends or not with whoever they want. I just want the British media to stop creating drama where they isn’t any and let Meghan nurse her baby in peace
Kebbie says:
August 10, 2021 at 8:58 am
Didn’t you hear? They’re going to be king and queen consort in 40 years, so they don’t leave the island anymore.
OMG
BBBWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is hilarious!
Exactly. Why where’s th Keens there? These people are so desperate in trying to drag Meghan and Harry, they can’t even keep their story straight.
This is so true: “Plus with the birthday party – it’s across the country, during a pandemic, and Harry and Meghan have two small children. One is 2 months old. Maybe, just maybe, they weren’t going to attend bc of that, even if they were invited?”
Plus, I don’t think the Obamas were invited to either royal wedding, Cambridge or Sussex. The couples are friendly without being friends.
The Cambridges who had a racist painting on the wall when the Obamas visited, and had to hurriedly try to cover it up with a pot-plant? Those Cambridges?
SenseOfTheAbsurd, please tell me that is a true story I have managed to never hear until now! I cannot stop laughing, they really do just bumble along, doing the absolute least amount of anything possible.
Camel toad wishes the Obamas were BFF with the keenbridges. There she goes again with her fanfic. Plus even if the Obamas didn’t agree with what Harry and Meghan said in the interview. It’s their truth to tell and no one has the right to tell them how to tell it. And we don’t have a clue if they agreed or not. These two couples come from very different backgrounds. Having people related to you doesn’t make them family or give them a pass to treat you like trash
@over it: im not going to lie. Michelle obama’s words after the Oprah interview kind of disappointed me. But just like Kaiser pointed out, the relationship was always overblown. I believe that the Obama’s like them. That doesn’t mean they are in constant contact. And it certainly doesn’t mean that they’ll get invited to a birthday party. And like I commented, the Bidens weren’t there either. To use Baracks birthday party as some indication of the relationship between the sussexes and the Obama’s is so flawed and so stupid. It seems like since Tominey gets nothing from the middletons she resorted to fanfics with nothing but speculation
She just had a baby and the delta variant is no joke. Plus not all black people in public spaces have to be bffs. Jesus this narrative is so racist.
The other issue for Michelle is that Barack signed up for William’s Earthshot mess so she can’t defend Meghan strongly without making a mess for her husband, but I also think Michelle doesn’t get it either. That while what she went through was incredibly hard it had an end date with freedom after 8 years instead of a lifetime and her husband was actually the POTUS and not the 6th in line.
So did Hilary Clinton and she came out to publicly support meghan multiple times. It has nothing to do with earthshot. I simply think that michelle doesn’t get it. Because:
1. While she and barack faced racism unfair treatment, her husband was POTUS and could refute things at his own will and whenever he wanted. He still had his voice. Harry is the 6th in line, and wasn’t in charge of anything.
2. Since the Obama’s were POTUS and FLOTUS, they got the nice diplomatic version of the windsors. They haven’t seen how these people operate with their own family and i think Michelle found it hard to connect meghan treatment with the way she was treated when she visited KP. But its like Diana said: they are nice to you until you marry in.
@sh
Oh, really? Well that explains why the Obamas are taking great pains to remain neutral.
@SH I think there is very little MO doesn’t “get.” As former POTUS and FLOTUS they respect that the UK is a close ally and they aren’t going to get sucked into gossiping about the BRF.
I don’t think the Obamas are neutral. I think they are definitely pro-Sussex. I think they maintain distance because a) they don’t really know the Sussexes that well–the idea that all black people know each other is silly and ridiculous. I’ve had to tell white people I don’t know random black people at work/school all my life. b) they have to maintain a public face of neutrality as ex heads of state. There’s no reason that they cant be nominally supportive of the Cambridges via Earthshot, and supportive of the Sussexes via Archwell. The only people asking/expecting them to “choose sides” are ratchet British royal reporters, who are nothing but paid hacks anyway. I wouldn’t be surprised if the royal courtiers tell the ratchets to lay off the Obamas, because they could inadvertently cause diplomatic headaches for the royals due to their shenanigans. Dragging the Obamas into royal petty politics only hurts the royals, because the Obamas are popular in the Commonwealth.
Y’all trying to tell me that this black woman and black man don’t understand undercover racism because of the 8 years they spent as POTUS and FLOTUS?.
Stop.
Secondly their political position is difficult enough to navigate. This is actual drama. We’ve never known either of them to engage drama. And comparison to Hillary Clinton is not the same. She never held a position quite that high. And isn’t black so…
@SH said:
“The other issue for Michelle is that Barack signed up for William’s Earthshot mess so she can’t defend Meghan strongly without making a mess for her husband, but I also think Michelle doesn’t get it either. That while what she went through was incredibly hard it had an end date…”
LOL. Obama endorsing Earthshot is purely performative on his part. A royal operative may even have reached out to Obama in advance requesting support for when they launched the press release.
Anyone with good sense who previously didn’t see Willileaks’ weaknesses, for sure now realizes how petty and problematic he is, and how much he lacks character. The only thing Cain has going for himself is his FFK status.
Rather than either of the Obamas “not getting it,” you are seemingly not getting what’s really going on under the surface. There’s always a public face and a private face. The Obamas are very smart cookies. So are the Sussexes. The Lamebridges, on the other hand, are petty, lazy, overly embiggened, and useless. This is more and more obvious to blue checks, but W&K will still be catered to because of the respect that will always be attached to their status. The same as Trump being protected by the stature of the distinguished office he held, but did not deserve to win, much less to wield for four years.
Gossiping about the BRF? LOL this is a strange choice of words!! In any case, I believe its a matter of 1) both families (Sussexes and Obamas) are just friendly, not really close friends. This applies to the Cambridges as well, they don’t know the Obamas in any way shape or form. The Obamas visited KP because of their working relationship with prince Harry from their work on veterans’ issues, they didn’t visit KP because of any relationship between the Obamas and the Cambridges so for CamelToad to suggest that is sheer stupidity. 2) (i)POTUS Obama DID, on more than one occasion, meet prince Harry after he finished his term as POTUS: https://people.com/royals/prince-harry-barack-obama-reunite-kensington-palace/ (ii) the Obamas invited prince Harry to Chicago for their Foundation launch, not prince William and POTUS Obama did his radio interview with prince Harry not with price William. So the working relationship is between the Obamas and prince Harry, period. Camel-toad (LOL😂, I love that name) needs to sit her arse down some place.
Thirdly, even though the the Obamas are brown people, they actually are educated people, they were the first brown first family in American history, they have a foundation to run and they are actually really, really smart people. They aren’t gonna be taking no one’s side and alienate the other just for Fs sakes, not even the queen’s. So to suggest that they are snubbing the Sussexes because they need to show support for the BRF and the Cambridges is just ridiculous. The Obamas don’t owe anyone their allegiance, people need to quit with that foolish crap.
Birtherism was exceptionally painful for the Obamas and their girls. They “get it” times ten.
That’s probably why they’re not adding fuel to the racist hate MM faces by giving salty whites the “all black peoples are friends ganging up against us to take our WHITE right!” Trope.
Anyone who thinks they don’t get it must have been asleep for 9 long years when Republicans were hanging photos of Obama dressed as a Muslim terrorist with a turban in their official elected offices. I mean, no one has accused MM of being a terrorist yet. Yeah, the Obama’s get it.
Huh😲@WiththeAmerican, are you kidding me?No one has accused Meghan of terrorism? You might have missed the articles written by Camilla Tominey et al that directly linked Meghan, the Grenfell tower community kitchen women and the community cookbook to terrorists? Or how Meghan eating avocado toast fueled murder and child labor in latin America? Girl Meghan has been accused of everything thing including terrorism.
Imagine saying the Obamas don’t understand what racism is or how white folks hide their worst instincts around black folk who they know they they don’t have the power to eff with. Y’all say just say anything, huh?
In describing that cozy little meeting with Prince George, and the dinner with W, K, H that CT refers to, she omitted (it probably doesn’t even register for her) the little detail that the meeting with George, and the group chat photographed afterwards, took place in the Cambridge’s sitting room, dominated by a massive painting of a black page (slave) boy holding two horses, with a plant and multiple lamps placed around it to obscure the title plate and part of the picture. It was directly across from where Obama was seated. Whatever fantasies CT has about the Obamas and Cambridges being BFFs, I think not.
As far as times when the Obamas and Sussexes may have met, add that Obama was at the Invictus Games in Toronto, along with the Bidens; pictures show him sitting between Harry and Dr. Jill at the wheelchair basketball game. Very possibly/likely they all met Meghan there as well. Jill Biden knew Harry from previous Invictus games, and Harry had done a veterans’ event at the WH with both her and Michelle Obama on the same US trip in 2013 where he visited Arlington National Cemetery. (A picture of his visit still hangs at Arlington; it was visible during one of the inauguration events in January.)
Thank you. I can pretty confidently assume that the Obamas are not friends with a couple who freely hang racist paintings in their private rooms and are too stupid to even try to replace it prior to their visit.
The Obamas only visited because Harry was there and he knew Michelle from the Invictus Games work.
Good grief. The Sussexes are really the center of the universe in England.
The Obamas didn’t invite (gasp) Beyoncé and Jay…the entire crew at Crooked Media…Joe Biden (I don’t think)…Justin Trudeau…the list goes on! So many snubs what does it mean?!?!?
I absolutely love your posts Gruey but his closest Crooked Media friends were there and are not saying a word as usual. Nothing to see here! Favs, Vietor, prob Rhodes. Favs and Vietor were there for him at the beginning, before the presidency, they have a long time friendship plus helped on the book. Emily Favs posted from MV. But you are right, not the whole crew.
Camilla Tominy is a deluded woman trying to stir something why the Bidens weren’t there? wasn’t he a VP to Barack so they are a lot closer to the Obamas than H&M ? and Barack endorsed Biden during the election lol does that make the love relationship over?
it’s because people have other things to do than attending a birthday party during a pandemic who knows who received the invite & who declined couldn’t she find something else to write about?
Exactly! It’s also Meghan’s birthday too. Why would anyone want to play second fiddle at someone’s party on YOUR birthday?? Perhaps her family and friends celebrated her privately? Which is more likely than her sitting at home doing nothing while pining away for an invite to someone else’s birthday party.
And C) it was Meghan’s birthday too. Who wants to spend their birthday at some acquaintance’s own birthday party, especially when there’s a new-born baby at home.
This is what I came here to say. It was Meg’s birthday, is Camel-Toe on crack? Obama would not even think of inviting the Sussexes (or vice versa) it was birthday celebrations in both households for the patriarch in the Obama household and for the matriarch in the Sussex household!! What, Tominey expected the Sussexes to abandon all their birthday plans and attend someone else’s birthday because, why exactly?
That camelb*tch wrote this article for 3 reasons:
1) a naked, bare-faced, attempt to rile Sussexsquad and to get back at them for blowing her cover and dragging her last week after she sent a death threat to her own husband and kids and tried to blame Sussexsquad;
2) throw her usual puerile and futile digs Meghan;
3) and do the usual failed sleight of hand, i:e throw up a Sussex smokescreen as cover for the pedoPrince
Camilla Tominey purposely trolls in her articles. She knows mentioning the Obamas will get people angry. She’s doing it on purpose, probably reads all the comments here and on Twitter in order to find something to write about. She’s an extremely racist person who is convinced she is not at all a racist reporter. Best thing is to ignore her if possible because she has self-anointed herself as someone important when she really is not.
EXACTLY THIS! Who wants to play second fiddle on their own birthday?
I agree it has nothing to do with the queen.
I also agree that their closeness has been overblown.
A warmer response when asked about the interview would have been cool.
I am VERY disappointed with the Obamas! This was a good opportunity to show support to the Sussexes. MO has her own agenda but siding with the Cambridges and RF? Not a good look.
I get so angry reading comments like Virginia’s. I just can’t even, I better get outta here before I say something I regret. The gall. The GALL.
How on earth did she side with the Cambridges? She said vague words so as not to be dragged into something that has nothing to do with her. How dare she!
False dichotomy
What in the effing what are you talking about??? The Obamas are NOT siding with anyone. They are both masters of diplomacy and discretion and have NO desire to get drawn into some petty, childish slandering war within the BRF. Give your head a shake girl.
What the hell did I just read? The Obamas have earned their retirement! Let’s not ask them about every racist incident in the world or any POC incident in the world. Not their fleas, not their circus.
The UK is one of the US’ closet allies. Diplomatically, it would be completely inappropriate for the Obama to insert themselves into BRF family drama.
Yeah, I’m sort of here. I would have loved for Michelle to have given an answer that was more supportive of Meghan. But, I also completely understand why she answered the way she did and I don’t think it means that she and the Sussexes are no longer on speaking terms or anything. Michelle Obama has been through the wringer in terms of the press and I don’t blame her for wanting to keep her focus on her own work at this point.
And that’s not even getting into the diplomatic aspect of this situation. If Michelle came out as too supportive of Meghan, that would be interpreted as her husband also being supportive of Meghan which would then become THE OBAMAS HATE THE QUEEN!!!!!
In that case a no comment when asked would have been better. Her response was used by the British press to abuse Meghan further. Anyway I understand she doesn’t have to take side with her position as former FLOTUS.
@woke, if Michelle Obama would have said “no comment” that would have been twisted too. When someone wants to hurt you they will uses anything they can find as a weapon whether its a knife or an ink pen. And I guess I’m in the minority here because I didn’t have a problem with what Mrs. Obama said at all. She said the Sussexes should ignore the b.s. and focus on their goals and she hoped eventually they could reconcile as a family. As an outsider what more could she say publicly? And because even Harry said he hoped that one day he could have a better relationship with his own family, who is Michelle Obama to say differently?
@MsIam
I agree completely. I didn’t find what MO said cold, if anything she seemed annoyed that she was being asked about it period, given she was on tour for her own work. I honestly think a lot of the “upset” comes from the fanbase. We can quibble over whether she was vocal enough in her condemnation, but if I’m honest I don’t think that’s the real issue. I think it’s that some ( and I want to stress some) supporters of the Susssex’s use the clout and popularity of other celebs who support them as evidence of how much the RF is hated. Some absolutely used to fawn over the Obama’s and how they and the Sussexes along with Tyler Perry, Oprah, etc were basically all laughing over brunch about them. At the end of the day this is just speculation though, because I don’t know either couple, nor how much they speak or don’t. I think we should remind ourselves that sometimes.
Deleted
They have zero intel on who was on the invite list. Just educated guessing. It was Meghan’s birthday as well, maybe she had her own plans. Not every relationship they have is acted out on the public stage. Same for the Obamas. She has a 2 month old infant. Traveling during a pandemic is probably the LAST thing on her mind.
+1, Snuffles. This story is so weak, a reputable news org would laugh it out of the room. Just a piece of costume jewelry to distract from the House of Windsor’s pedo prince.
THIS! The Obama family, their personal assistants and their Secret Service detail (who had to vet the list) are the only people who know who was on the original guest list, who made the cut to the short list and who declined the original invitation for whatever reason (and was then left off the short list).
I mean the Cambridges weren’t invited either and the Bidens didn’t attend either. Im not saying the sussexes are as tight with the obama’s as the bidens are but to view this as some indication of their relationship is so farfetched and truly flawed.
The Bidens & Clintons being no-shows is a story.
Now I don’t think they were invited, but why on earth do people think the Cambridges would fly 6000 miles for a party??
I mean, even I know that would be crazy.😬😬😬
The optics would be a disaster.😵
First, the US border is still not open to the UK.
Second, how would the Lamebridges justify this jaunt to the taxpayers??
Third, their right wing base will curl if they’re seen as getting close to the Democrats on downtime.
Will & Kate are very much playing the Future monarch supporting UK.
‘Holidaying in Cornwall’. ‘Hunting pheasants’. ‘Embracing Britishness’ game.
No way would they fly over for a US, or Italian party.
What kind of person would invite a new mother to a birthday party that requires a FLIGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY DURING A PANDEMIC????? If the Sussexes were invited, they would have been invited to a Zoom or whatever security equivalent platform to extend their good wishes.
This is just more grasping by the ratchets. They have the story of Pedo Andy right in front of them and they ignore it. Assholes.
Ianne, everything you said. 100%
Agree with all of that 💯. It’s been said here in comments about Obamas/Sussexes and I’ve never seen it. Michelle was a bit shady after the Oprah interview. I thought she wanted to not take sides.
Plus meghan just had a baby in a pandemic. Not exactly party time.
I just really feel like, This super famous 60 year old couple that had to cut down from 60 guests to, idk how many I didn’t look, had cost friends than the Sussex’s to invite. Like forreal.
. They probably have a hundred or so or more guests they could have invited (from their own generation no less) but weren’t able to.
Regular people weddings are much larger. I just… can’t believe this is a thing
A pathetic attempt to distract from Andrew and not the least bit believable. Sometimes I wonder if these correspondents are tired because not only are their pockets hurting but so is there reputation and they’ve been shut out of the Sussexes media. The Royal family is not worth it and it’s perplexing. Bashing Harry and Meghan is getting really old and predictable. This story isnt going to get traction at all and everyone can see the game.
Yeah, I don’t think they’re that close but I do think that the Obamas are loyal to those they perceive to have power and that would be the Royal Family. Michelle’s response to the Oprah interview and Barack’s very long tribute to Philip are indicative of that. Furthermore, I don’t think they share the same beliefs, the Obamas are very conservative even though they’re Democrats. Remember Obama had to be pushed to accept gay marriage.
^^ True @AmyBee, the Obamas are not known for pushing the envelope too far. They don’t want to court controversy, especially now that they are solidly seen as part of the American political establishment. When he was in office, Obama was uber careful about not pushing too many boundaries. That was reflected by many of his cabinet choices.
While they surely must understand the rock and hard place of M&H’s situation, they aren’t going to get involved in speaking out against the royal firm or the British establishment.
@AmyBee said:
“I don’t think they share the same beliefs, the Obamas are very conservative even though they’re Democrats.”
On this point, I have to say, I don’t think the Sussexes and the Obamas have beliefs that are so different. It’s just that they are from slightly different generations and they may approach personal challenges differently. This would be because they grew up differently, and their life situations are not exactly the same. They are similar in being high profile, community-focused individuals with philanthropic interests. And both couples have Netflix and Spotify deals, which maddens right-wingers. LOL
Honestly, M&H are fairly conservative too. They have been patient, dignified and discreet for the most part toward the royal firm, and they are not radical progressives politically. M&H should not be viewed as controversial in any way. It’s the U.K. media who have tried to build a false narrative about the Sussexes being controversial. Plus all the noise and nonsense by jealous online trolls has added to the noisy negativity.
The Oprah interview was a warning shot, which was needed. However, M&H haven’t gone full boar — they are simply defending themselves and pushing back against the gaslighting and the character assassinations. They are doing what they need to do to protect their reputations and their ability to move forward with their lives and their charitable work. Plus, they are trying to build a future and a strong legacy for their children.
Had the rota clowns and the royal firm stopped messing with them, M&H may still have given an interview to Oprah, but it would probably have focused chiefly on their Archewell initiatives, and on their new life in California. They would have potentially said very little about the Salty Isle. The crap created by the firm and the rota over Archie’s birth certificate was likely the final straw, in addition to all the other unfounded attacks.
This is pure distraction and deflection to remove the focus off Prince Andrew, written by the woman who call Virginia Roberts a prostitute.
It’s a non-story. Oprah did not even attend the party. Neither did the Clooneys or the Springsteen’s. We are still in a pandemic.
This right here. None of the royal reporters are talking about Andrew, but of course Camel-toe will put something out like this. She was even fighting with Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s brain, on Twitter( no idea- don’t care). She’s a mess. I bet both the Sussexes and Obama’s both read their birthday cards and well wishes, gave this article a shrug and finished their coffee before getting on with their day.
Agree with you @Kaiser! Plus, we don’t know whether or not the Obamas and M&H talk privately on occasion. The two couples seem to be more high profile acquaintances than they are intimate friends. Still, they might stay in touch privately. Michelle Obama answered Jenna Bush’s question regarding the Oprah interview very carefully, due to her position as a former FLOTUS. Michelle definitely did not want to be drawn into the royal family drama, so she made her answer more about how she herself responds to conflict, negativity, and being harshly judged.
I think Michelle was a little bit annoyed at Jenna Bush asking the question in the first place, because it was very off-topic from the subject of the interview. But Michelle did her best to try and be diplomatic, which means her response was interpreted differently by those who support the Sussexes and those who hate the Sussexes.
Agree. MO’s answer to JB’s question was a careful one. “This, first & foremost is a family. I pray for forgiveness & healing for them so that they can use this as a teachable moment for us all.” CT is wrong (shocking). Though Obama’s may put ‘family first’, it’s not like Barack hasn’t had difficulties within his family. His half brother, who he was one close to, Malik was a Trump supporter. The White House spokesman back in 2016, Josh Eearnest, said Barack & his brother didn’t have much of a relationship anymore and maybe spoke once a year.
The Obama’s didn’t just ‘pop’ into KP. It was a scheduled engagement that was part of Obama’s farewell tour.
Maybe a cross country trip for parents of a two month old who also have another young child, in the middle of a surging variant that is transmissible from the vaccinated while children under 12 aren’t able to be vaccinated yet….doesn’t make any sense? This is a very surface analysis, it’s not like I pay close attention to where people live, but it seems to me that most of the people who went to the party live/have summer homes on the East Coast.
I want to live in a world where the Obamas and Sussexes are friends. But I’m also a tad weirded out by Obama throwing a celebrity birthday bash at all let alone during a variant surge. And was an official invite list released? How do we know they weren’t invited?
Oh yeah, I was weirded out by this too!
Also, Michelle never had to curtsey to anyone in her life, that alone would infuriate me.
I was weirded out, too, when MO told Meghan to hang back and ‘not do anything’ in her first year or so in the royal family when Harry and Meghan were first married. Maybe she was supposed to take a leaf out of Waity’s book?
Michelle Obama was speaking from experience. The racism from the UK right wing press was there from the moment it was announced that Harry and Meghan were dating. Michelle knew they were on the attack, just like how she was attacked for her healthy eating initiatives. Imagine people being upset about encouraging kids to eat healthier and exercise more! I believe that’s why she told Meghan to take her time, especially as an American in a foreign country.
I thought Michelle Obama’s advice to Meghan to hang back and take her time was incredibly wise and that things would have been much easier for Meghan if she had done that. That’s not to blame her as the royal family saw her as being ready to immediately take on a major role.
I actually agree with MO’s advice to Meghan, I tell that to new hires at my company. Oftentimes new hires come in hot and get burned out quickly. She probably was thinking the same thing with Meghan, don’t burn yourself out too quick. I wouldn’t read too much into it, I think it was with the best of intentions, even if someone disagrees with the approach.
If Meghan had hung back, the UK tabloids would have labeled her lazy, all the while relying on racist stereotypes about Black Americans. Meghan was in a no-win situation, regardless, but she opted to work for this family, to prove to the public she was there to work.
She never had the luxury to wait for a decade like that other duchess. Plus, while Michelle waited a year to launch her first initiative (Let’s Move!), it STILL didn’t stop the US (right wing) press from ranking her over the coals for it.
So what exactly could Meghan have done?
Does this all feel a little like all black celebrities should know each other so why weren’t you there?
Someone has a guest list? Maybe the declined because they don’t want to travel during the Delta surge especially while they have 2 little ones at home. Maybe they have met yet are not friends who you would invite to a party. IDK and neither does this cow.
Why does camel the lying toad not just fall into a hole and stay there. I think Meghan wanted to celebrate her birthday at her home with her family and maybe a few close friends if any, she just had a baby and I don’t think she is in a rush to go all the way to another state even if she was invited. And so what if they weren’t. The Obamas and the Sussex are very different people with very different interests. They don’t need to be seen together for the sake of it to please the British masses
The same way the RR does not want to classify the RF as ” celebrities”,they should not qualify Hilary Clinton as such. If they are going with politicians/Head of state being not in the same category as Kim Kardashian, they should at least extend the same courtesy to politicians of other countries.
As for the Obamas, Michele has even shared that Kate was the one to recommend this botox facial cream she says it works wonders. I dont think they are friends, but friendly enough. Personally, I think a bit less of Michele for not saying the vaguest, blander well wishes to Meghan after the interview. To suggest people in service should not take racism personally is strange.
It could very well be the Obamas are weary of speaking in support now of anyone after the Jusse Smollet thing.. If I had to guess, they simply do not want get involved in any controversy regarding the RF ( I think if the question would have been about Prince Andrew, Michele would say she supports victms and leave it at that )as they are not entirely retired…not only that but they are in the business of selling books/ giving speeches, so it goes with keeping a diplomatic approach and attract as little conflict as possible.
Agree with all of this!
I was wondering what on earth they could possibly talk about over dinner with the Cambridges, and here’s my answer— Botox cream, lol. That’s all Kate has to contribute in a group like that.
I think they’re friendly acquaintances, and won’t be surprised if they work together at some point in the future.
And, for all we know, they might have been invited to the party but declined because they have a newborn and we’re still in a pandemic. (TBH I think BO showed poor judgment by going ahead with the big party right now. He could have waited and had the big bash for his 65th birthday, when Covid is well and truly behind us — well, hopefully).
I agree that Michelle’s comment about the interview was cold, especially considering she knew what an unbelievably tough time it was for the Sussexes, and that a kind word from her probably would have meant a lot to them.
Kate uses botox? Since when?
Never according to KP. Every 6-8 weeks if you ask anyone who actually looks at her.
I think it was less of Michelle being shady after the Oprah interview and more of Michelle being in the middle of a press tour for her own show from her own production company–and that show was centered around families cooking together. So, she had to give the most family-oriented answer possible. It wasn’t about the Sussexes at all except for her being annoyed at how she was dragged into the mess.
Agreed.
Completely agree. Also, as she was involved in her own press tour, who knows, she might not have even *seen*the interview and didn’t have context. I would be hesitant to comment on anything without context and prep in a public setting like that.
As much as some of us might want, there’s no proof that they’re even friends. Just because Harry got along with the Obamas workwise, doesn’t mean they’re besties. Also this is a damn distraction from what really needs to be discussed at that moment and it’s so obvious.
I also agree that they aren’t that close and any relationship is philanthropy based but how do any of these people know they weren’t invited? And as another commenter mentioned, why would they attend another birthday party on meghan’s birthday with a new baby at home and a new covid strain tearing up the country?
this is such a non story.
Exactly. And also, why are people convinced that they aren’t “friends”? I consider friends people I can share things that are meaningful with. Just because you hang out with people doesn’t necessarily mean they are the ones you can share your heart with. So just because we don’t see the Obamas and the Sussexes ” hanging out” like Oprah and Gayle doesn’t mean they don’t have a relationship that’s beyond superficial.
I agree that she’s over it Kaiser. She’s spoken at length about her depression, and I think having to watch everything you say/do, or someone’s fanbase won’t think you are supportive enough is exhausting. It’s odd to me that people ever saw them as more than people that move in the same diplomatic/philanthropic circles. I think this article and the Twitter meltdown some are having is also exactly why Michelle Obama was vague in her Today show interview, there’s literally articles asking why she didn’t invite someone to her husband’s birthday party. Another point I do think people focus on is that these are two couples at totally different points in their lives. One has a toddler and an infant and is for all intents and purposes under 40, and the other had one half just celebrate their 60th birthday with two adult children. In addition to the fact they literally live 5 hours apart by plane, its not odd they aren’t in each other’s pockets.
Agree that they are at different points in their lives and why are people expecting all black people to be friends?
On the other hand Legend and Teigen are also at a totally different points in their lives yet they seem to have been amongst a select group that wasn’t disinvited, so I don’t think the age gap is necessarily the reason.
Maybe John was invited to perform. He’s been known to perform at these type of things, and I think he may have actually performed at a birthday party for one of them before. The larger point still stands, we don’t know because we don’t have to. It really has nothing to do with us at large who is and isn’t invited to the party, and the reasons behind it.
Maybe they first culled the guest list by those who didn’t want to attend for various reasons, like Oprah. You know Chrissy wasn’t going to decline.
There are many people in my life that I have dealt with professionally and personally that I like and admire but would not be on my short list for a birthday party invite.
iirc the last time Harry met Obama he was 32 yrs old. i think the times they met it had to do with talks of events that had to do with mental health care. don’t think they met Meghan. did see a pic of Meghan meeting Obama before she met Harry. Michelle was not exactly sympathic about Meghan suffering by the firm,after the Oprah interview. she just gave diplomatic answers when she was asked. harry have a work relationship with Obama,so i would guess if anything they know about each other but they not that sort of friends that visit each other. what Michelle don’t understand being a guest to the queen or a friend is not the same as working for her. a guest will always be treated with respect .and i am sure Michelle saw what was written and they still writing about Meghan. so she had to know all the suffering Meghan went through by the firm.
I agree with Kaiser. Because they aren’t really friends probably. Why do they need to be?
When We All Vote is Michelle Obama’s organization and it was on the list for the 40×40 initiative. And Camel Toe has no idea what she’s talking about as usual. But sure go ahead and speculate about who was invited to a party thousands of miles away instead of writing about Prince Andrew who’s RIGHT THERE. However, even I can say with certainty that Camel Toe was not invited, lol.
Camilla doesn’t expect her readers to actually research her claims. Once a tabloid “reporter”, always a tabloid reporter.
I think the British press are finding out that the narrative that they built around Harry and Meghan was false and they are now making up new stories to cover up for their ineptitude and cluelessness.
I think while 400 people or whatever it was is a huge birthday party for most people, it really isn’t that many when you are at the Obama level. I think it’s very possible they are casually friends, but we’ve never seen anything to suggest they were besties or anything.
The BM is just making a big deal out of literally nothing.
Other than what’s been said above (weren’t that close, no-one has seen the invite list, don’t want to travel, want to be diplomatic, don’t want to take sides etc etc), I want to add that even if the Obamas didn’t care for the Sussexes or don’t like them, I doubt they’re the type of people to say that publicly through sources or friends. And if they were, I would imagine they would go to the NYTimes or WaPo instead
I wasn’t invited, either!
I was. But I didn’t turn up as a flex.
Darn! @Karen for Klobuchar… So close, and yet so far…
LMFAO
💀💀💀
Lol! The mailman probably stole my invite.
😂📭
Aside from the Obama’s not being tight with the Sussexes, the Sussexes also have a newborn at home and it was also Meghan’s birthday. It’s a non story that Camilla is trying to make into a big deal because home girl is in pictures getting chummy with the pedophile.
This reporter needs to do some research. The Obamas disapprove of H&M because they are “all about family”? Doesn’t Barack have family in Kenya that he is estranged from and a half brother who accused him of abandoning them? In 2016, the Obamas represented the US as the first family, of course, they visited the figureheads of another country.
And that half-brother was running his mouth to the right wing press just like somebody else’s estranged family members. So the Obamas know what the Sussexes are going through in more ways than one. So they would be the last people to judge the Sussexes about dealing with troublesome “family”.
Yeah, I don’t think they disapprove of the Sussexes. Honestly, I think Michelle just doesn’t like off topic questions. She was also a little annoyed when they asked what advice she would give Meghan during her book tour. Also, you can be friends with someone and disagree about the way that they are handling something. Not everyone has to agree on everything.
But did she really disagree or get taken out of context? She wished for family healing, didn’t she? And that is what H&M have also said they were trying to work for.
Michelle referred to Meghan as her friend in an Instagram post and they were good enough friends to lunch for the British Vogue. I too was disappointed with Michelle’s response to finding out her “friend” contemplated suicide. There were any number of ways to convey empathy without “dragging herself into anything.” WOC are historically ignored or disbelieved when they dare to come forward about their mental health struggles. Michelle dropped the ball on a chance to advocate for women of color facing mental health issues.
Totally agree!
^^@Aurora, Michelle Obama advocates in her own way, just by virtue of who she is and how she carries herself! Michelle is a role model. Meghan is a role model. Hillary is a role model. Stacey Abrams is a role model. Beyonce is a role model. But these are all very different women of different age groups and variant upbringings. You can bet they are all supportive of each other too and they all know each other, but they are not all intimate friends. The level and nature of friendship between and among them varies. None are exactly besties, though they are supportive, particularly in terms of public projects. On more personal matters, they likely offer private support, which is none of our business.
We shouldn’t get any of this too twisted. Remember the source that stirred this up in the first place is a rota leech who is a lying, clout-chasing wannabe.
And this is the exact reaction these 🐀🐀are looking for. Pit one POC agains the other POC, sit back and watch and enjoy them tear each other down and devour their own. Please, please, people 🙏🏾🙏🏾do not fall for their traps. 🙏🏾
@aftershocks, YES! And, the rota involved in lying about a certain crying story.
They didn’t have lunch, it was a phone I interview.
It’s safe to say that the regulars here are strong admirers of M and H, and are following their saga closely– but as interesting and admirable as the Sussexs are, the Obamas are in a different league of power and celebrity. I saw the Jenna Bush interview, and all Michele was legitimately trying to do was keep the focus on her book. The interview had the very specific purpose of promoting the book and Jenna kept trying to introduce M so as to partake of the ratings feeding frenzy. Jenna wouldn’t quit— she kept on and on even after Michele answered tactfully and tried to take the convo back to her book. Michele knows full well that she would never get a word about the book in the coverage of the interview if she uttered a peep about Meghan. Jenna was the one in the wrong here, for not respecting the purpose of the interview, and Michele’s right to stay on topic. Jenna wanted ratings at any cost, or unfairness to Michele. She shamelessly blindsided Michele and went at her again and again about Megan. Jenna showed no interest in the book.
Because not everyone needs or wants to invite the Sussexes to everything… god forbid.
Since CT seems to know the Obamas so well that she can print that, why isn’t she printing the guest list (which supposedly started at 650 until they had to disinvite hundreds because that large a gathering “looked” bad🙄)
I really think the British gossip columnists should stick to writing about those still residing on the Isle, no one needs the British bitter and biased opinions here.
In my personal opinion, if you literally harass someone to the point of suicidal thoughts and fleeing your country, you should automatically forfeit any right to use their name in any further articles..
Time to focus on Prince Andrew and his very real civil lawsuit for the rape of a Trafficked Minor.
It was Meghan’s birthday also, even if she didn’t have plans, a baby and a toddler, no vaccine for under 12, why would she risk it.
Obama should know about family squabbles, his half-brother is a trump supporter.
Hilary Clinton is still getting abuse, but she stands up for what she believes.
Im mildly irritated by this idea that Michelle Obama is somehow obligated to cape for Meghan. Just like all famous Black people don’t know each other, those same folks aren’t required to support each and everything they do…
Plus Michelle is a Queen and has earned the right to do, say and support whatever the hell she wants
See this is the issue, y’all falling into Camilla Tominey trap; stop tearing WOC down, if MO is a queen, MM is a duchess, so now what? They all good, nice people, no one is demanding the other cape to them or whatever. White people like trashing POC and pitting them against each other and I for one am so sick of it. Where is the “irritation” about Camilla Tominey saying MO capes to white rose Kate Middleton? Kate Middleton, the woman that left a picture of an enslaved child in her living room when she knew the Obamas were going to visit? Stop this.
Michelle doesn’t owe anyone anything g and isn’t required to stick her neck out for anyone not named Malia or Sasha. She’s rarely even thrown on a cape for her own husband so it’s ridiculous to think she should be doing that for Meghan and Harry. Why is she being attacked for wishing forgiveness and healing for the family when Harry and Meghan themselves said they’d like to one day heal this rift?
Does C-Tom even know how long a flight it is from CA to Martha’s Vineyard? She probably thinks it’s two hours, tops, or maybe a 3-hour car trip. Basically a whole day of travel with an infant and a toddler. Can you imagine being in your forties and your profession is writing “Nah nah you weren’t invited to the party!” What a loser.
This also has elements of what happened when I helped my sister with her 40th birthday party list. She wanted a big 40th birthday party and is pretty prominent in her neck of the woods. While she has a core group of friends, but for the rest of the list it was slowly turning into “If I invite this person, I am going to have to invite X, Y and Z because if I don’t invite them, they are going to be pissed off and I don’t want to deal with it.” Plus, there were some people she would have to invite who she really didn’t like from this expanded list too.
I’m thinking that it was like if we invite the Sussexes, we are going to have to invite the Cambridges and whoever else in the Royal Family, etc. etc. And they probably felt just easier not to invite any of them. Plus the attention would have been taken off of Barack — which it is his birthday!
Per Michelle’s interview answers: I read it as “Please don’t pull me into this shit show” answer a person gives when they are a. over it and b. are friendly with both and don’t want to get in the middle of it. (I doubt this is the first time someone had asked her this.)
If pressed to choose sides, I somehow doubt a strong African-American woman that has been attacked and abused for simply existing would turn against another strong African-American woman that has been attacked and abused for simply existing. MO and M may not be close friends, but there is zero chance it has anything to do with MO thinking highly of the BRF. It’s frankly laughable.
I think when it comes down to it, MO thinks the Sussexes are a young(ish) family and they should be given the space to live their lives and raise their babies. Looking back on it, her answer at the time was fine and didn’t add much fuel to the fire. Look at how much happier Meghan looks now. She’s in a much better place and holding her own. What more do people want from Michelle? She’s had her own complications and sometimes you need to stay out of others business.
Let’s for a moment imagine the headlines if they had attended the party. Camila would have been the first to chastise them. I’m so relieved this no-win agenda is no longer perpetuated in all media around H&M.
Exactly. The Sussexes would have been called “political” and would have been accused of “putting the queen in a difficult position” or some other such bullsh!t. Its the same reason the Obamas didn’t go to the Sussexes wedding, even though it was not a state event but a private one.
Exactly.👍👍👍👍👍
They would have been torn to shreds.
Then blamed for spreading COVID to Montecito!!
I’m happy Harry & Meghan celebrated HER b-day, how they wanted and kept it lowkey.
100 per cent agree with this
Oh my gosh, what an odd narrative pushed by that tabloid. They probably aren’t close. When would they have become close? Do the Obamas spend much time in LA? Wouldn’t it be more realistic for the tabloids to find the politicians or anyone who worked with them for a long time who “wasn’t invited?”
I’m more curious about who is close with Chrissy Teigen or John Legend. Perhaps the 2 men got to know each other over the years? I guess she is less “canceled” than she thought but were other guests warm to her at the party? Do they care about her twitter bullying scandal?
Tbh Michelle always seemed pretty enamoured with the queen and BRF ( at least that’s my impression from reading her book, correct me if I am wrong) . Not sure why as the institution literally represent colonialism and imperialism and enslavement of black and brown people. But she strikes me as not a very political person.
And anyway, was the obamas invited to H and Ms wedding? If not, I don’t see what the fuss is about.
Only thing that makes me side eye this , is the fact that they are close enough to Legend to ignore his wife’s hateful online trolling.
I mean Michelle is also friendly with Goerge w. Bush. I admire both the Obamas, but rich and powerful people absolutely have relationships and friendships with people in a different way than normies do. If I knew someone like W. Who started a war because someone was mean to his daddy, yeah I’d probably cut him off. But these people are NOT normal.
Honestly, I’m not going to knock Obama from being friends with Legend. The man is in politics. Teigen is milquetoast compared to some of the people and operatives he’s associated with. Also, you know Chrissy is definitely not friends with MO. We all have friends who have a messy spouse. Not all our friends pass the stress test.
@Pilar
By that same token we should also blame Meghan for marrying a man from an institution which represents colonialism and imperialism.
Exactly. Funny how they always have this kind of smoke for Michelle Obama but not Meghan. Barack wasn’t even in politics when Michelle married him let alone a prince. Harry was very much a prince in that institution and Meghan still married him. Yet it’s Michelle who is attacked as being enamored with the colonialist institution. Very interesting indeed.
Nyro, MO is a dark skinned black woman married to a black man, and Meghan is a light skinned, conventionally beautiful woman married to a white prince. I see a lot of white woman showing themselves but I can’t say much here.
Barack Obama is mixed race, just like Meghan.
In A Promised Land Barack Obama is very “gushy” about the Queen, calls her one of his favorite people. Not sure if that’s just diplomacy speaking, if he really thinks the queen is the bees knees – or if the truth is somewhere in between and Obama knows that he cannot say anything else about the queen besides “she’s the most amazing person ever.”
What has he said about the queen that Meghan hasn’t? Is he supposed to lie and say she was nasty to them?
Did Camilla T see The List?
Do we know if they were invited or not?
Did they turn down the invitation?
Is Meghan’s birthday the same as Obama?
Wouldn’t it be awkward turning up on someone’s birthday, when it’s your birthday as well, especially if you are both famous, would it not overshadow Obama’s party, as far as the media is concerned?
How old are Archie and Lilibet?
This is a non story to distract.
Yes, we just don’t know. Evidently Oprah was invited and declined because of Covid. The same might have been true of H&M – invited, but no thanks it’s my birthday too, we have 2 babies, we live on the other side of the country, and covid.
Exactly. Suddenly the Obamas hate them for XYZ reason, when they could have very well received an invitation and turned it down. Or, they could have not been invited because the Obamas knew that with a newborn, toddler, Covid, and travel needed to get to the party, it wasn’t worth the invitation.
@Abena, you hit the nail in the head. The UK press were hoping the Sussexes would be invited to this so that they could be accused of overshadowing Obama’s birthday or stealing his spotlight. They were gearing up for a round of how-dare-she-ism and the whole thing fizzled. No one expected the 40×40 initiative to drop and when Obama’s party was initially planned, no one was expecting the Delta variant to be raging, although the usual right wing scolding wasn’t unexpected. Also, in a larger context, why should the former leader of the free world, POTUS 44, be expected to be friends with a minor British royal 20 years his junior? In the grand scheme of things, they are in way different leagues. Let’s be realistic here and think beyond fan girling. That’s basically what Cameltoe’s article is. Pure fan fiction and projection. It says more about how big the Sussexes loom in the UK press, then about the actual facts of who they know. Obama’s have friends, colleagues and contacts that go way back, over 30+years. Even some of his closest colleagues from his White House years weren’t at his party like David Axelrod. Make it make sense.
First of all the sussexes are on maternity leave. Also I would find it tacky to invite a person to help celebrate your birthday, at the expense of foregoing theirs. Also I didn’t see the cambridges publicly wishing Barack a happy b day. This article is a nothing burger, and i can’t understand why so many cbers are being drawn into it. There is no there, there. Cameltoe wins this one, imho.
Trust Camilla Tominey to come up with a stupid article.
When it comes to reporting on Prince Harry and Meghan the educated journalists, editors, royal biographers, lawyers lose their marbles.
It is a strange phenomena happening only in UK.
what a nonstory.
Also, I don’t blame Michelle Obama for her diplomatic response about the Oprah interview. She was First Lady for 8 years and Barack is a former president, which is it’s own elder statesman thing that requires you to be diplomatic (at least if you’re not Cheetolini), I’m sure it’s ingrained that they don’t want to appear to take sides or burn any bridges with the British establishment, and they have always been middle of the road people anyway. And if I was her, I wouldn’t appreciate being drawn into royal gossip, like, she has other things she wants to talk about, and the only reason why anyone would ask her is because Meghan is a famous black woman, and they all must know each other. Kind of insulting.
BO did make an error of judgement with his somewhat tacky party, given Covid.
MO was cold in her response after the Oprah interview.
My 5 cents
+1
This is way overblown. Meghan had her own big 40 milestone birthday to celebrate and why would they fly all the way to Martha’s Vineyard when you have a newborn at home? Maybe, just maybe, they had their own plans for her birthday. Obama’s party looked fun for him it’s over now. Also, are they even friends? Yes they have met more than once and Meghan interviewed Michelle Obama but admiring and liking someone does not translate into a friendship or even a work partnership. I think this article is more about the UK press being pissed they can’t write about a lavish party with big caterers and M bring photographed with this or that big person. I don’t know why so many people want the Sussexes and Obama’s to get together. They have very different lives/goals, Sussexes are still navigating a new landscape and have the BRF complications. I just don’t get it and it doesn’t really benefit either couple to be seen as having a relationship that doesn’t really exist for all sorts of reasons. Maybe they each decide to mind their business and focus on their own thing. What I want the Obamas to focus on is using their political muscle to help retain the house and pick up a few more Senate seats and help focus on voting rights. Political Obama’s are my favorite Obama’s, even post POTUS.
Michelle Obama said what she said in regards to the Sussex situation, That is her right.
If Obama wants to have a party during COVID, let him, the consequences of which will have to be borne by him and his guests.
Twitter is littered with former opinion pieces written as a distraction to bad news in certain circumstances. This is one of them, it would be riddled with mistakes. For instance, Prince Harry was present at that particular 2016 visit where Prince George was in bathrobe.
The Obamas were on a diplomatic endeavor on that visit. The relationship between Prince Harry and the Obamas can be seen under the foreign relations aegis.
This is about distraction, about class and is used as whataboutism just like the belly cupping and avocado toast causing upheavals.
Michelle gave Meghan some advice when she first joined the family which was to lay low, take your time, figure out the lay of the land. Meghan didn’t listen. Would things have turned out differently had Meghan followed the advice, I doubt it.
Michelle’s interviews have always upbeat, she rarely talk about the racism and all the stuff she faced so maybe she didn’t think Meghan should have brought it up. I think a no comment would have been better than her response.
I don’t think Michelle’s advice fit the context though. Her introduction to the role of first lady isn’t the same as Meghan’s introduction to royal life, especially after Harry and Meghan said at their engagement interview that their intention was to hit the ground running. Meghan probably already had the cookbook in the works, and she had a whole history of humanitarian
work attached to her already. It perhaps would have saved her some grief to be a quarter of herself right from the beginning, but eventually Meghan would not be able sustain a life of what basically to her would be twiddling her thumbs. Her mistake was not understanding that royal work was performative, but then her example was Harry who was the royal whose work had actual impact on real people.
The reason why Camel Toe and the rest of the rota clowns are furious is because they weren’t invited to Meghan’s birthday party. They are pariahs as far as Sussexes are concerned . And for that these clowns are sore and hurt because Meghan, no matter how much these rota rats complain and explain, doesn’t give them her royal attention. They are forbidden forever from the Sussex sphere of influence.
That known liar Tominey can’t be considered reliable on this. Does anyone really believe she has sources that would have access to the Obamas and their circle to be able to write this stuff? Or that any of the royal rota clowns would have that? I have no clue whether the Sussexes were invited or not, and considering that they have a newborn and young toddler who can’t be vaccinated, I would have been surprised to read/ hear that they attended, so this all just seems like another “let’s throw it at the wall to distract/ get clicks” play by the royal rota rats.
With everything going on in the world right now, the fact that people are discussing this is crazy. I am sure she had two articles written. 1)How hypocritical of the Sussex’s to attend this super spreader event and 2) They are no longer friends. It doesn’t matter what they do. It is save the monarchy at all costs for the RR. Therefore, H&M bad, Monarchy good. If the Cambridges are such good friends they could have gone to the party too. It is only a two hour flight difference for them vs Harry and Meghan. Also, Oprah and Beyonce didn’t attend either. Are they not friends with the Obama’s anymore? It’s a pandemic. Everyone has different levels of comfort in what they will and won’t do. There is nothing wrong with this. Also, the Obamas and the Sussexes both have a lot of friends and commitments. You can’t do everything and some things are going to be missed.
The Obamas are drama and controversy adverse and will avoid/cut off anyone who brings the drama.
Harry & Meghan bring the drama and controversy; therefore the Obamas will not have anything to do with either one of them.
It is what it is.
That’s just false, considering Meghan participated in Michelle’s “When We Vote” campaign last summer and mentioned having talked to Michelle, and When We Vote is part of the 40×40 campaign.
I don’t blame Michelle for her comments (that really weren’t that scandalous) about the Oprah interview, but to say that the Obamas won’t have anything to do with the Sussexes is just not true based on what we know thus far.
…and it’s the royal reporters who bring the drama and the false controversy, not Meghan and Harry.
We don’t know if the Sussexes were invited or not. Certainly Camilla Tominey is not a reliable source on the Obama’s guest. Just as the she and the tabloids are not a reliable source on the status of any relationship or lack thereof between them. I think the Obama and the Sussexes will always be cautious about any public “displays” of any relationship. When Sussexit was announced several tabloids claimed the Obamas were acting as advisors. Which the Obamas had to officially deny. Politically, a former president advising a Prince from another country would be controversial diplomatically. But what we have seen is overlap between organizations they support. The Obamas and the Sussexes are smart and strategic. They are aware that the tabloids would turn a public friendship between them into a scandal. I think they will work together quietly. On parallel tracks but no big grand public moments between them. When the Bidens were in the UK. Jill met with two veterans organizations that had direct ties to Harry and she talked about Invictus. That’s an example of the connecting through the work. It was widely reported that Harry wanted to invite the Obamas to the wedding because of his personal relationship with them but was told he couldn’t because Obamas status as a former head of state would make the invitation seem like a snub of Trump. So it is understood that there is a need to publicly tred carefully. The way Tominey tries to twist this into an endorsement of the Cambridge’s is just so laughable. Since Sussexit, the carnival has tried to make it seem as if the Sussexes are no longer “desirable”. But they just keep announcing projects and making really interesting connections.
Excellent post. Going back to Michelle’s response to Jenna’s question, there was no way she would say I think they’re racist @ssholes or anything we would maybe want her to say. Personally, when she said ‘..so that they can use this as a teachable moment for us all’, I took that to mean that it’s okay to walk away from a situation that isn’t good for you to be happy and live your best life.
I LOVE how the tabloids are litterly begging for the sussexs to appear/cone back to UK.. et😂🤣they’re not even hiding their desperation. They thibk this is a dig but it only confirms how BIG H&M are which I bet is eating up chuck, willy+ keen & the courtiers 😂they thought H&M would lose the attention & become irrelevant but it looks like they’ve become such big stars (equivalent to Kennedys..et ) and I bet will only continue to rise with their kids especially as teens when they start dating fellow celebs or European royalty.
DM thinks they’re belittling them but on the contrary I saw some racisr crazies praising Harry for ditching Obama!!! Boy they’ll lose it when they eventually partner up on a veterans project or something
Also, Camilla’s insinuation that the Obamas would shun the Sussexes because the spoke about their family issues demonstrate her ignorance. In the campaign prior to his first election, in discussions about race. Obama frequently talked about his white grandmother’s racist attitudes and behaviors. He was criticized for “throwing her under the bus but he discussed it as a demonstration that racism happens on a personal as well as a cultural level. Obama also wrote a book about his biological father who abandoned mutiple women and multiple children. And spoke about how both these things negatively effected him. I think the carnival is frustrated that the Sussexes are succeeding without relying on people like the Obamas. They would love for them to be riding the Obamas coattails so they could dismiss them.
@Holly
Agreed! Structural change is what we need. That would be a huge political lift.
How would the Sussexes more usefully contribute or “spend their time” so that they are not so “useless”? What should their humanitarian work look like instead of what they are doing? I think they have responded in a timely fashion to current issues the past eighteen months.
This is stupid on so many levels. Does she even know what the guest list looked like? I mean hey who knows maybe they were invited? Frankly I think the Obama’s and the Sussex’s are friendly acquaintance’s who like each other well enough. But they probably weren’t invited because they don’t really know each other all that well really.
And also in regards to some of the people here that are bitching about Michelle Obama’s response to Meghan’s interview. What did you want her to say exactly? She’s a public figure who probably would be bashed if she took a side in this.
Why didn’t Prince Andrew get invited? Oh right. Not his kind of party.
Let’s call this what it is-racist. It is being questioned as to why the black duchess wasn’t at a party being put on by other prominent black people. Also the fact that Meghan is viewed as a liberal but mainly due to the fact that 3 of the 4 are people in question are people of color cuz, you know, we all know each other. Big events happen here all the time yet this is the one they are questioning why H & M weren’t in attendance. More racist behavior from the British media
I believe this is more about the BM/BRF trying to reduce Harry & Meghan’s popularity and increase/prop up the Cambridge’s-not politics. Just like the thing in Eden Confidential some days ago about the Cambridge’s charity booms in America. LOL’d-The American Friends of the Royal Foundation’s full name is American Friends of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Harry, Harry & Meghan’s name used to be attached to it)-they founded it, so they gave themselves a grant? I haven’t seen any published documents yet to support Eden’s claim. The 990’s are not available yet for 2020. If you read previous financial stuff & notes from the foundations, they don’t rely on public support to raise money. Usually investments & individual sponsors with big dollars. Wealthy Britons living in the US are probably the ones who’ve donated to the American Friends extension of the Royal Foundation/Royal Foundation or people like Rupert Murdoch and Martin Sorrell.imo
“I think the Sussexes weren’t invited to the Martha’s Vineyard party because A) none of them have ever actually been that close and B) Obama was trying not to invite too many people.”
And C) It was Meghan’s own birthday. Why would she want to go celebrate someone else’s birthday over her own? If she linked with any mutual birthdays it would be her bestie Abigail Spencer who’s also Aug 4th.
Tons of people whom reported to have attended, did not attend. Example – Stephen Colbert & his wife. Others turned down the invite based on Covid & their own desire to stay home/safe. IF Meg & Harry showed up – they’d be burnt down for the irresponsible actions. They can’t win either way.
Honestly, if they’d been in the same city or state, they probably would’ve invited them. 🤷♀️
But there’s a pandemic, and flying cross-country is kind of a big deal right now, especially for parents of two very young babes.
Thank goodness they weren’t there. The headline
NO MASK MEGHAN!
jumps to mind.
This is what Michelle Obama said:
“My hope is that, when I think about what they’re going through, I think about the importance of family, and I just pray that there is forgiveness and there is clarity and love and resolve at some point in time,” Obama said.
She also said this (I believe separately) about Meghan’s claims about her experiences with racism from the Oprah interview:
Obama replied: “As I said before, race isn’t a new construct in this world for people of color, and so it wasn’t a complete surprise to hear her feelings and to have them articulated.”
Guys, I think everyone needs to take a breath. I think very highly of Meg as much as most everyone here, and I think very highly of Michelle Obama as well. Two strong black women who are amazing role models. Michelle has been at this game a lot longer than Meghan, and she obviously has learned some things along the way. I don’t think anything she has said has been cold and unfeeling — rather tempered and carefully thought out. Do you really think she can come out like “YES! Meghan has been treated like utter shit, just like I and Barack have been — fuck white supremacy!” Just like Meghan HAD to say Kate was “a good person”, Michelle had to make damn sure her response was perfectly measured. All this to say, we don’t know what kind of support and advice she’s lent Meghan behind the scenes — they both live in a constant state of precariousness and I don’t envy either one of them having to constantly walk that tightrope every day of their lives.
Thank you @SwirlmamaD I didn’t know what MO said until now since I don’t follow this stuff. Why does anyone think what she said was shady? Makes perfect sense to me given her position. She remained neutral that’s what I would have done. I’m sure H&M would understand that and would not want the Obamas or anyone else to get mixed up in this mess.
It would just make things worse for them. Agree with all your other points as well.
Anyone that has followed Harry and Meghan’s life knows there’s no way they were going to attend a birthday party with a two month old baby at home even if it was in the same state. Let them be
Oh the verbal gymnastics on here are really quite something. M&H are poison and no one wants to be associated with them.
Lol! Give it a rest Ms. Tominey. Or did you not see the list of high-profile people partnering with Meghan’s 40×40? One of which is an organization started by Michelle Obama.