When Meghan Markle and Anna Wintour saw each other at Paris Fashion Week, they showed signs of ‘warmth’ and didn’t appear to have any gripe between them, Judi James has revealed
Meghan Markle attended the Balenciaga show at Paris Fashion Week(Image: Getty Images for Balenciaga)
Meghan Markle appeared “slightly tense” but showed “warmth” as she squashed rumors of a feud with Anna Wintour, a body language expert has said.
On Saturday, the Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance at Paris Fashion Week in support of her friend, Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, who recently assumed the role of Creative Director of Balenciaga. A spokesman said Meghan, 44, wanted to show her support for her friend’s “new creative chapter.”
As she arrived in a white outfit with wide-leg trousers and a matching blazer from the collection, Meghan was seen greeting Vogue’s global editorial director Anna and film director Baz Luhrmann. The meeting came just months after an insider claimed Meghan had been “blacklisted” from appearing on a Vogue front cover due to her team trying to “micromanage” a planned piece.
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After a video of Meghan greeting Anna was shared online, body language expert Judi James said there were “obvious signals” of “warmth” between them. Speaking exclusively to The Mirror US, Judi said Meghan looked “stunning but slightly tense” while walking in her “regal white outfit” but her expression “softened” as soon as she spotted Anna.
Baz Luhrmann and Anna Wintour at the fashion show in Paris(Image: Getty Images for Balenciaga)
“The display signals are obvious here and they seem crafted to radiate a message of warmth between Anna Wintour and Meghan,” Judi told us. “Meghan looks stunning but slightly tense at the start of this clip, navigating her regal white outfit, but as soon as she claps eyes on the former Vogue boss her cheeks begin to round, and her eye expression softens. She performs a friendly head-tilt, and we can hear an ‘Aw..’ as her body language seems all about gracious recognition.”
The expert said that Anna seemed “very pleased” and that it was clear that the women have “a warm relationship.” She added that Baz also appeared pleased to see the former Suits actress. Judi explained, “It’s Meghan leaning in for the double cheek kiss, grasping Wintour’s bicep as she does so.
“When the two women lean back, they retain a clasp on each other and there is a brief gaze exchanged before Wintour uses one arm to direct Meghan to greet Baz. Wintour’s smile is effortful, making her appear very pleased to signal a warm relationship with Meghan and Baz seems to signal the same, smiling as Meghan lets out another ‘Aw…’ of recognition as she performs her greeting ritual.”
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While Judi said it’s difficult to reveal anything about “authentic friendship” based on the pair’s brief interaction, it is clear that Meghan “does inject some extra warmth here and as an intentional or announcement gesture to silence the rumors of a rift.” She added, “It does seem to imply mutual effort to prove to the universe that these two women have no ongoing gripe between them.”
The meeting came months after it was claimed that Meghan and Anna had a fallout because of the star’s demands when it came to a potential Vogue story. It was claimed that Meghan’s team insisted on vetting the words, and reportedly also pushed for the piece to be a front cover. Instead of having the desired effect, Anna is alleged to have grown frustrated and pulled and scrapped the feature altogether at the last minute.
“Anna heard about it and just like banned her and said: ‘That’s it. We don’t want to do this’,” a source told Mail Online. “And so she didn’t get the cover, and I guess she didn’t even get the story.” These claims haven’t been confirmed by Meghan or Anna.
Meghan during the Womenswear Spring Summer 2026 show(Image: Getty Images)
Meghan’s outfit during the show at Paris Fashion Week was from her friend’s debut collection for Balenciaga. A spokesperson for Meghan told People she attended the Balenciaga show in support of Pierpaolo Piccioli, saying, “Over the years, the Duchess has worn a number of designs by Pierpaolo. They have worked closely together.
“She has long admired his craftsmanship and modern elegance, and tonight was no different. This evening reflects the culmination of many years of artistry and friendship, reflected in her support for his new creative chapter at Balenciaga.”
After seeing a clip of Meghan greeting Anna, a fan wrote on Instagram, “Anna Wintour looks very happy meeting Meghan!” Another said, “OMG! Our girl is back! So happy for her.” A third said, “Absolutely beautiful.”
On Thursday next week, Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, will travel to New York City to accept Project Healthy Minds’ Humanitarians of the Year Award at the non-profit’s World Mental Health Day Gala. The honor is being presented to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their work to make the online world a safer place for families and young people, and for their efforts to advance mental well-being globally.
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