Serena Williams Shuts Out Meghan Markle from Baby Shower Over Camera Crew Request

Serena Williams, the renowned tennis pro and close friend of Meghan Markle, made headlines when she excluded the Duchess of Sussex from her grand baby shower party.

The event, which took place over the weekend, left many wondering if Meghan had attended.

Serena shared a tantalizing teaser video on her Instagram, boasting 16.8 million followers, before releasing the full video on her YouTube channel.

However, keen-eyed viewers noticed that the royal pal was conspicuously absent from the footage.

According to a source, Meghan was initially invited to the baby shower but made some specific requests that didn't sit well with Serena.

The Duchess allegedly asked for a larger presence of paparazzi and media at the event.

She also wanted to bring her photographer friend, Misan Harriman, along.

However, Serena clearly did not agree to these demands, leaving Meghan either standing outside the party or sitting at home, missing out on the A-listers' photos from the baby shower.

This incident is in stark contrast to Meghan's own baby shower in 2019, where she confidently posed for cameras and waved to the press.

The event was attended by esteemed guests, including Serena Williams, her Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, and her best friend Jessica Mulroney.

It is believed that Meghan took control of the press coverage, strategically organizing a designated area for photographers.

This could have been her way of managing how and when the media captured her during the event, according to Cosmopolitan.

But what was Serena's baby shower like?

The tennis superstar opted for a unique celebration at an event space adjacent to a tennis court.

The venue was adorned with balloons and featured a water park for the kids.

Food vans lined the perimeter, and attentive waiters served drinks.

As night fell, the highly anticipated moment arrived: the gender reveal.

After a playful cake-cutting prank, Serena's guests looked up to witness a breathtaking drone display announcing that she was expecting a baby girl.

The joyful news was met with the adorable screams of Serena's daughter, Olympia, who exclaimed, “I'm so happy!”

During an interview on CNN's “Who's Talking with Chris Wallace” in May, Serena's husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, expressed his excitement about becoming a father to another girl.

Vanity Fair writer Sam Kashner, however, claimed that Serena referred to Meghan as merely an acquaintance.

Kashner had received a list of Meghan's friends from the Duchess herself, but when he reached out to Serena, she denied their friendship and allegedly stated, “You've got to be who you are, Meghan.

You can't hide.”

In another instance, while appearing as a guest on Naomi Campbell's YouTube show, “No Filter with Naomi,” Serena expertly evaded a question about Meghan's recent move to Los Angeles.

When asked if she was happy that her friend had relocated to America, Serena playfully responded, “Don't know what you're talking about.

I don't know anything about that,” leaving no room for further discussion.

The exclusion of Meghan from Serena's baby shower has sparked speculation about the state of their friendship.