Just weeks after shock rumours that Meghan Markle had approached publishers to see if there was interest in a ‘divorce book’, she’s now said to be using her split from her first husband to forge a friendship with Hollywood star Jessica Alba.
Former actress Meghan, 43, and Jessica, also 43, both attended fellow actress Kerry Washington’s 48th birthday party at the start of the month, and a source tells Closer that the pair hit it off while discussing the end of their respective marriages.
Fantastic Four star Jessica shocked fans last month when she announced she was divorcing film producer Cash Warren, her partner of 20 years who she married in 2008, and father of her three children. She said in a social media post, ‘I’m proud of how we’ve grown as a couple and in our marriage over the last 20 years and it’s now time for us to embark on a new chapter of growth and evolution as individuals.’
Meghan divorced her first husband, Trevor Engelson, after two years of marriage in 2013, three years before she met now-husband Prince Harry.
A source says, ‘Meghan was very excited about going to Kerry’s birthday celebration – mainly at the thought of befriending her A-list pals, knowing how well-connected she is in Hollywood.
‘She did her research beforehand on Kerry’s pals that she hadn’t met before and as soon as she knew Jessica was going to be there, she made a beeline for her and used her experience of her own marriage breakdown and divorce as an opportunity to bond and offer her a shoulder.
‘She waited it out until later on in the night when they’d all had some wine and were separating into small groups, to get some time alone with Jessica. She told her how sorry she was and opened up about her split from Trevor and confessed how difficult she’d found it to finally make the call to end their marriage.
‘Meghan feels that Jessica should trust her gut. She knows that a divorce can feel like your world is caving in but found that the heartache wasn’t worth existing in a marriage that didn’t fulfil her and she’s gone on to make a happier life for herself.
‘Although Jessica seemed a bit taken aback by Meghan’s openness at first, she was really appreciative that she felt willing to be so honest with her – especially given they barely know each other.’
It is not the first time that Meghan has used her divorce to make friends – with her former Random Encounters co-star Abby Wathen revealing she too bonded with her as they were both going through divorces during filming. Meghan divorced Trevor before she relocated from the United States to Canada to start filming hit show Suits.
The source continues, ‘Meghan explained [to Jessica] how unhappy she’d been even before moving to Canada and how she tormented herself with the decision to call time on her marriage to Trevor for months and how when she finally did, she felt a huge sense of relief which helped settle any lingering doubts that she should try harder to save their relationship.
‘But she also accepted that her situation was very different – given she and Trevor were married for a far shorter time and didn’t share children.
‘With Meghan’s A-list friendship circle rapidly declining, she’s hoping this new friendship with Jessica can flourish and that she’ll be welcomed into her social circle with the likes of Kate Hudson and Jennifer Garner as she continues to do whatever she can to hang onto her Hollywood star status.’
Despite insisting they are still happily married, Meghan and Harry – who married in 2018 – have been constantly dogged by rumours they too are headed for divorce after making an increasing number of solo appearances in recent months.
Harry made a rare comment about the rumours in December, saying, ‘We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times. It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it.
‘The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls. Their hopes are just built and built and then it doesn’t happen. So, I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do.’
