David Foster is pushing back after a red-carpet clip from his foundation’s anniversary gala led some viewers to believe he had snubbed Meghan Markle.
The moment happened during the David Foster Foundation’s 40th anniversary celebration in Victoria, British Columbia, on Aug. 7, where Meghan and Prince Harry attended as guests. In the circulating clip, Foster appeared to walk past Meghan while approaching the couple on the red carpet, prompting online speculation about whether the exchange had been awkward.
Foster has now rejected that interpretation. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, the music producer said he had already greeted Meghan and Harry about 10 minutes before the red-carpet photos and described them as his “dear friends.”
He said the brief interaction captured on camera was simply about positioning everyone for photographs, not a personal slight. Footage and photos from moments later also show Foster returning with his wife, Katharine McPhee, before all four posed together smiling.
Foster Said He Had Already Greeted Meghan and Harry
Foster said the viral clip did not show the full context of the couple’s arrival. “As the host of the David Foster and Friends foundation event, I had already greeted our friends, the Duke and Duchess, at the entrance 10 minutes before the red carpet encounter,” he told PEOPLE.
He also praised Meghan and Harry for giving their time to the event and interacting with attendees. “Harry and Meghan are dear friends of mine,” Foster said, adding that there was “certainly no snub.”
Foster was more critical of reports that presented the encounter as evidence of tension. He said what was actually a routine attempt to arrange people for a photograph had been turned into what he called a “hurtful lie.”
The Clip Sparked a Viral Debate
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Page Six reported that the video drew attention after viewers interpreted Foster’s movement past Meghan as an intentional snub. The footage shows Meghan and Harry posing on the red carpet when Foster approaches. Meghan appears to extend an arm as he passes her and acknowledges Harry.
Foster returns shortly afterward with McPhee, and the two couples pose together for photographers. PEOPLE reported that Meghan, Harry, Foster and McPhee were smiling and laughing during the group photographs.
The Gala Raised $14.5 Million for the David Foster Foundation
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The online debate unfolded around a major milestone for Foster’s charity. The Aug. 7 black-tie gala celebrated the David Foster Foundation’s 40th anniversary in Victoria, the Canadian city where the organization began. PEOPLE reported that the evening raised $14.5 million for the foundation.
The David Foster Foundation provides financial support to Canadian families whose children need life-saving organ transplants, helping families stay together during the transplant process.
The anniversary celebration continued the following day with a free public concert at Victoria’s Inner Harbour. The foundation had announced the Aug. 7 and Aug. 8 events as a return to the city where its work began four decades earlier.
Meghan Wore Princess Diana’s Earrings for the Gala
Meghan’s appearance also attracted attention for the jewelry she chose for the evening. Vogue reported that she wore a black one-shoulder dress by Canadian designer Greta Constantine with diamond and sapphire earrings that previously belonged to Princess Diana. Harry wore a black tuxedo and bow tie.
The jewelry had another connection to British Columbia. Vanity Fair reported that Diana first wore the butterfly earrings during an official visit to the province in 1986.
Meghan has worn the earrings on several previous occasions, including during her 2018 trip to Australia and at the 2022 Invictus Games in the Netherlands.
Foster and the Sussexes Have Known Each Other for Years
Meghan and McPhee knew each other when they were younger and attended Immaculate Heart in Los Angeles. McPhee previously said they performed together in school musicals before reconnecting as adults.
Their husbands developed their own friendship. In 2020, McPhee told PEOPLE that Foster and Harry had a “really, really beautiful relationship,” comparing their bond to that of a father and son.
Foster also helped Meghan and Harry during an important period in their transition away from royal life. In 2019, he arranged for the couple and their son Archie to stay privately at a mansion on Vancouver Island owned by one of his friends.
Foster said at the time that he was happy to help them find somewhere they could take a break and remain out of the public eye. The two couples later continued their friendship in California, including being photographed together on a double date in Montecito in 2020.