14 February 2024 , 11:31
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Meghan Markle has announced her return to podcasting, but she seems to have snubbed her close pal Serena Williams in the process.
The Duchess of Sussex has said she is "proud" to be partnering with Lemonada to continue her "love of podcasting" after she and Prince Harry were axed from Spotify last year. Meghan had hosted her Archetypes podcast on the platform before they made the mutual decision to part ways after just 12 episodes.
In a statement announcing her new project, Meghan thanked celebrities such as Mariah Carey and Jameela Jamil for appearing on Archetypes. However, she failed to mention Serena.
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Meghan Markle announced her brand new podcast (Getty Images for Project Healthy)In a statement on her website, Meghan said: "Listeners tuned in as: Mariah Carey spoke about the definition of being a diva; Mindy Kaling celebrated the choice to be single; Pamela Adlon lifted the lid on the pressure to be a wife and a mother; Issa Rae and Ziwe Fumudoh unpacked the loaded misconception that often comes with being a woman of color; and Jameela Jamil and Shohreh Agdashloo spoke about the courage that it takes to step up and speak out, even when it puts everything on the line."
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She added: "These singular discussions – with notable women, friends, comedians, activists, historians, and experts – transcend individual episodes for a dynamic cultural conversation about how women can reject, reclaim, and redefine these archetypes, on their own terms."
Serena appeared on Archetypes to talk about the double standard women face when they are labelled "ambitious" and the impact this can have on the rest of their lives. The snub comes despite Meghan and Serena being friends since 2014.
Serena Williams wasn't mentioned in the statement (Getty)The pair first met at the Super Bowl in Miami back in 2010, but their friendship didn't truly begin until February 2014 when they played in the DirecTV Beach Bowl. Writing about the experience on her blog The Tig, Meghan said: "We hit it off immediately, taking pictures, laughing through the flag football game we were both playing in, and chatting not about tennis or acting, but about all the good old fashioned girlie stuff. So began our friendship."
She also said Serena "quickly became a confidante I would text". In 2016, Meghan supported Serena at New York Fashion Week and has been to watch the tennis star at Wimbledon.
In 2019, Serena showed just how close they had become as she co-hosted Meghan's New York baby shower with Amal Clooney. The event was hosted in the $75,000-a-night (£60,000) penthouse suite of The Mark Hotel in Manhattan's Upper East Side.
After Meghan and Harry sat down for a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Serena posted a message of support on Instagram. She described Meghan as "selfless" and said she "teaches me every day what it means to be truly noble".