Serena Williams' appearance at the 2026 Met Gala without Meghan Markle has sparked widespread speculation about a rift between the former close friends.

Williams, 44, attended the May 4 fundraiser at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City wearing a silver metallic gown. She was photographed multiple times with Emma Thynn and Edward Enninful, both figures linked to a perceived distancing from Markle.

An insider familiar with the event told Radar Online, "At a night like the Met Gala, nothing about who you stand beside is accidental – it is one of the most carefully observed stages in the celebrity world. Serena choosing to spend so much time in close formation with Emma and Edward, both of whom have been linked to a cooling in their relationships with Meghan, inevitably reads as more than coincidence."

The insider added that this "visual narrative suggests a shift in loyalties, or at the very least a rebalancing of where those personal alliances now sit."

Serena Williams and Meghan Markle were once viewed as confidantes navigating fame together. The source noted, "You have to remember how intertwined Serena and Meghan's public images once were – they were regularly framed as confidantes, almost a united front navigating fame and scrutiny together," according to AOL.

The insider further explained the significance of Williams' current company at the gala: "So when Serena appears in such a high-profile setting and that connection is absent, replaced instead by other prominent friendships, people are going to read into it."

The Met Gala is described as a social barometer – it is where relationships are quietly endorsed, recalibrated, or, in some cases, allowed to fade without a word being spoken.

Williams' visible closeness with Marchioness Emma Thynn was evident in the days leading up to the gala. The two shared moments from their preparations and arrived arm-in-arm at pre-gala events hosted by Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez.

Edward Enninful, the Vogue editor who worked with Markle on a guest-edited 2019 issue, has also reportedly grown distant from the Duchess of Sussex. "Meghan and I had a great moment with the issue we did, but I feel like I have done it and I wouldn't necessarily repeat myself." Enninful said this in September 2025, after reports of disagreements over a proposed magazine feature involving Markle.

Comparisons between Thynn's lifestyle brand and Markle's 2025 Netflix project "With Love, Meghan" have also circulated. When approached about these comparisons, Thynn declined to comment.

Despite the present speculation around their relationship, Williams and Markle share a longstanding history. They first met in 2010 and reconnected in 2014. Markle once wrote they "hit it off immediately." Williams attended Markle's 2018 wedding to Prince Harry and her 2019 baby shower in New York.

Williams has publicly praised Markle's strength and character. In 2021 she said, "We have known each other for a long time, but we really are relying on each other a lot recently." She also described Markle as "the strongest person" she knows and "the epitome of class and strength."

However, one source told the outlet bluntly, "Friendships at this level are often communicated through appearances as much as words – and right now, the signals look very different from what they once were. In other words, it seems Meghan is now dead to Serena and their bond is over."

Tags
Meghan Markle, Serena Williams