Reality television stars Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner have sparked speculation after apparently removing photographs featuring Meghan Markle and Prince Harry from their social media coverage of Jenner's extravagant 70th birthday celebration.
The Mysterious Disappearing Photos
According to multiple media reports confirmed on Tuesday, both Kardashian and Jenner initially shared images of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending the James Bond-themed party held last Saturday. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice that these particular photos later vanished from their social media feeds without explanation.
The lavish event took place at the Beverly Hills mansion owned by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, attracting numerous A-list celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Adele, and Mariah Carey. Despite the high-profile guest list, attention quickly turned to the missing Sussex photos.
What Was Shared Before the Deletion
Before the images disappeared, People magazine reported that Kim Kardashian had uploaded multiple photos from the evening that included the royal couple on her Instagram account. Her mother, Kris Jenner, shared a snapshot of herself posing with Meghan and Harry. Additionally, Kardashian posted a separate photo featuring just herself and the Duchess of Sussex.
Vogue magazine captured images of the couple arriving at the function, with Meghan Markle wearing a sophisticated black long-sleeve top paired with a skirt featuring a slit. Prince Harry complemented her attire in a matching velvet black tuxedo. Fan pages dedicated to the Sussexes also preserved some of the now-missing Kardashian-Meghan photos.
The Ongoing Mystery and Privacy Context
Neither Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, nor representatives for the Sussexes have publicly commented on why the photographs were removed. HuffPost attempted to contact all parties involved but received no immediate response regarding the apparently scrubbed images.
The photo deletion occurred around the same time Netflix announced the release date for the holiday special of Meghan's cooking show, "With Love, Meghan," though any connection between these events remains unclear.
This incident raises questions about privacy boundaries, a topic Meghan has addressed previously. In an unaired clip from her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess explained her perspective on public sharing, stating that the media had "created a false narrative" about her and Harry wanting complete privacy.
"There's no one who's on Instagram or social media that would say, 'Because I shared this one picture, that entitles you to have my entire camera roll,'" Meghan remarked during the interview. She emphasized that selective sharing doesn't justify unlimited access to private moments, framing it as "about boundaries" and "respect."
Despite the photo removal mystery, a source told People that the Sussexes appeared "hand-in-hand and looked very happy" during the birthday celebration. The couple's relationship with the Kardashian-Jenner family has included previous gift exchanges, with Jenner publicly thanking Meghan in August for multiple bottles of her Napa Valley rosé wine from the As Ever brand.
