Meghan Markle's 44th birthday passed with a noticeably quieter celebration and the absence of several high-profile friends who once formed the core of her Hollywood circle. The Duchess of Sussex marked the occasion with a "low-key" dinner at Funke, a Beverly Hills hotspot, but guests such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Serena Williams, and Tyler Perry were not in attendance, according to multiple entertainment industry sources.
"It was a private dinner. Very low-key. No speeches, no surprises," a source told Rob Shuter's #ShuterScoop. "But the absences were noticeable." The insider added, "There's no feud. But it's clear the dynamics have shifted. Meghan is focused on her family and her work. And some people have moved on."
Hollywood executive sources said Winfrey, who played a key role in "launching Meghan and Harry's entire media brand" with their 2021 televised interview, has had less recent contact with the couple. "That connection has gone quiet," one executive said.
The guest list's omissions extended beyond Winfrey and DeGeneres to figures like Serena Williams, Beyoncé, Priyanka Chopra, Katharine McPhee, and Portia de Rossi. Markle posted an image from the dinner on Instagram, showing her blowing out candles at a small table with unidentified companions. "Blowing out the candles on a beautiful 24 hours, and thanking my husband, friends, and family for making it so special," she wrote. She also addressed her followers: "To those of you I don't know, but who send love every day, thank you so much. Please know I feel it and appreciate it."
The scaled-back celebration comes as Markle's entertainment ventures face setbacks. Her Netflix lifestyle and cooking series With Love, Meghan ranked 383rd among the platform's most-watched shows in the first half of 2025. Prince Harry's polo documentary fared worse, placing 3,436th with roughly 500,000 global streams. Although a second season of Markle's series will air in the fall, it was filmed alongside season one, and industry insiders say Netflix has "no appetite" for renewing the couple's five-year deal, which expires later this year.
These professional challenges have coincided with what sources describe as growing strain for Harry in Los Angeles. One person familiar with the couple said the Duke of Sussex feels "marooned in showbiz-land in LA thanks to his wife Meghan's desperate quest to be seen as a celebrity." The source added, "Basically, he just wants to quit the States and move back to Britain, where he can be part of the royals again, do charity work, and have a few beers with his old rugby pals. His life is, for want of a better phrase, now in the toilet."
