Jessica Mulroney has hired a 'huge crisis PR team of lawyers and image experts' to deal with the race row backlash, source tells US Weekly

• A source told US Weekly that Jessica Mulroney has hired a 'huge PR crisis team'
• Meghan is said to have 'cut ties' with Jessica following the race row 
• Duchess, 38, first met Jessica, 40, while she was filming Suits in Toronto
• Sources claim their relationship was 'already on the out', as Jessica was 'making a career out of the friendship'

Jessica Mulroney has reportedly hired lawyers, image experts and crisis PR teams to help put the backlash from her recent row behind her.

The Canadian stylist, 40, who rose to fame due to her friendship with Meghan Markle, came under fire this month after influencer Sasha Exeter shared a series of unpleasant messages in which she allegedly threatened to sue her.

The bitter controversy that followed led to the Canada-based mother-of-three being fired from her presenting role with CTV and her job with Good Morning America.

Jessica Mulroney (seen with husband Ben and Meghan Markle in 2016) has reportedly hired lawyers, image experts and crisis PR teams to help put the backlash from her recent row behind her

And now reports claim that Jessica is trying to put the media storm behind her with the help of experts. 'Jessica has hired a big crisis PR team to deal with all of this backlash against her,' a source told US Weekly.

'She's been talking to lawyers, image experts and crisis PR teams. She has been having a lot of them over to her house to brainstorm and find a way to put this behind her.'

+13

The Canadian stylist, 40, who rose to fame due to her friendship with Meghan Markle, came under fire this month after influencer Sasha Exeter (seen) shared a series of unpleasant messages in which she allegedly threatened to sue her

Last week a source claimed the Duchess of Sussex has permanently cut ties with Jessica Mulroney after she became embroiled in the race row.

Meghan Markle, 38, first met Jessica while she was filming legal drama Suits in Toronto, and the stylist went on to attend her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 - however Meghan has now reportedly ended their friendship 'for good'.

An insider told Page Six that their relationship was 'already on the out', because Meghan felt that Jessica was 'making a career out of the friendship'. 

Speaking to Page Six, the source said: 'The white privilege row has really given Meghan the excuse she was waiting for to cut Jess off for good.

'I don't know what the tipping point was, but Jess has been on the outs for some time.

'Their friendship is definitely not what it was. And really, how can you have such a close friendship when one person is basically making a career out of the friendship?'

DailyMail.com exclusively revealed this month that Meghan had been left 'absolutely mortified' by Jessica's 'tone-deaf' threats to Sasha, and told close friends that she can 'no longer be associated with her'. 

+13

The Duchess of Sussex has cut ties with Jessica Mulroney following the stylist's race row with an influencer, a source has claimed (seen together in 2016 in Toronto)

'Meghan is absolutely mortified that she's been dragged into this complete mess. She said Jessica is in no way a racist, but the way she handled the situation (with the fashion influencer) was tone-deaf and heartbreaking,' a close friend of Meghan's said.  

'Meghan said friends reflect friends and because of what's at stake she can no longer be associated with Jessica, at least not in public. She has to do what she has to do in order to preserve her dignity and her own reputation,' they added.

The scandal brings intense embarrassment to Meghan who devoted her brief time as a royal to promoting social good and is a life-long racial equality activist.

The source added that they 'wouldn't be surprised' if this marked the 'beginning of the end of their friendship'.

They also said that Meghan cannot publicly defend Jessica in this case or help salvage her career.

'It's not like Meghan can just call up ABC and defend Jessica,' the source said. 'There was a reason Meghan waited to so long to make a statement. She wanted to get it right. She said she urged Jessica to do the same thing from the get-go.'  

Representatives for Jessica and Meghan have been contacted for comment. 

This comes after Jessica had her reality TV show cancelled and was fired as a bridal marketing specialist after 'threatening' a black social media influencer in a row over white privilege. 

Mulroney admitted that 'I was wrong' after clashing with lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter in the wake of the George Floyd protests. 

Exeter says Mulroney 'took offense' to a 'generic call to action' that she posted on her Instagram story weeks ago and that the pair then started arguing. 

It's unclear if the entire dispute happened over Instagram and what specifically was said but, eventually, it resulted in Mulroney allegedly threatening Exeter that she would contact companies she had worked with. 

Mulroney apologized publicly on one of Exeter's Instagram post after the went public with their dispute but Exeter claims she then sent her another private message which read: 'Liable suit. Good luck.' [sic] 

+13

Meghan Markle (seen with Prince Harry in March), 38, first met Jessica, 40, while filming Suits in Toronto, and the stylist went on to attend her wedding to Harry in 2018

How Jessica Mulroney's career has progressed since the royal wedding

Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney's career has gone from strength to strength since she attended Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. 

The mother-of-three, whose children were page boys and flower girl at the Duchess of Sussex's nuptials, has since won an array of high profile TV contracts.

Jessica, 40, who is married to Canadian television host Ben Mulroney, son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, announced her new wedding reality show with CTV last year. 

Mulroney's reality show, I Do, Redo, premiered on CTV at the end of March and was also released internationally on Netflix. 

The series followed Jessica as she helped couples move on from their disastrous weddings by giving them the nuptials they've 'always dreamed of.' 

Mulroney has also been a regular face presenting a fashion segment for ABC's Good Morning America since last year.

Jessica also became the spokesperson for The Bay's bridal brand, which launched in fall 2018.

However Jessica's reality TV show has been cancelled and she was fired as a bridal marketing specialist last week amid the race row.

 ABC has also cut ties with Jessica in her occasional role as a fashion contributor on Good Morning America.

The Bay also released a statement, confirming that Mulroney would no longer be the face of Kleinfeld Canada. 

Jessica Mulroney, who attended Meghan's baby shower in New York in 2019, was last seen visiting Windsor following the birth of Archie last May. 

Though plenty of reports followed claims over her role in Harry and Meghan's move to Canada earlier this year, the pair have not been spotted together.

Jessica has been careful not to speak out about Meghan too extensively in public, saying last March: 'Listen, every person has to have a bit of privacy in their life.

'There are certain things I hold very dear and secret. There are things I'll never talk about for sure. My life is an open book, but there's always a few secret pages in the back that nobody will be able to read.'

But in a rare moment she previously appeared to hit out at the media in August, defending Meghan. 

Mulroney took to Instagram at the time to say the Duchess of Sussex had been unfairly criticized and suggested that race was a factor.

'When someone faces unfair criticism, you call it out. When that person is your friend and your family, you call those critics what they truly are. Shame on you, you racist bullies,' Mulroney wrote.

She added: 'Three years of undeserved hate and abuse. It's enough.'

Mulroney had earlier shared a tweet by British actress Jameela Jamil that accused people of bullying Meghan because of her race.

Last month Mulroney revealed she was taking a social media break, because 'someone dear to her' told her being silent amid racism is not enough.