Celebrity

Rebel Wilson Thinks Her Mom’s “Rude Questions” May Have Put Off Meghan Markle

“I’m like, ‘Mom, don’t ask her that.’”

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Even celebrities aren’t immune to a little parental embarrassment. Case in point: Rebel Wilson was left rosy-cheeked back when she introduced her mom to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a visit to Santa Barbara, California. The Duke of Sussex “could not have been nicer,” Wilson gushed while appearing in the March 2 episode of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. But royal protocol went out the window when they scored an audience with Duchess Meghan.

“My mom, being Australian, just asked her all these slightly rude questions,” the actor said of matriarch Sue Bownds, prompting Cohen to press her about the nature of those queries. “Like ‘Where are your kids?’ and things like that,” Wilson replied. “And I’m like, “Mom, don’t ask her that.”

That might’ve had something to do with why Wilson felt Meghan “was not as cool” or “as naturally warm” as Prince Harry, with whom she shares a mutual polo player friend. “Maybe that’s why she was like, ‘Who are these annoying convicts from Australia?’” the Pitch Perfect star joked, referencing her native country’s history as a 17th-century destination for criminals from the United Kingdom, as an alternative to execution. There was no question, however, that she felt Harry “was actually lovely,” as she said to close the WWHL discussion topic.

The meeting likely occurred at one of Prince Harry’s polo matches in May 2022. Wilson posted an Instagram photo from the Lisle Nixon Memorial in Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club at the time, writing, “Team Harry” in the caption. Royal watchers might recall this was the match where Meghan and Harry were photographed kissing in a rare PDA moment.

Wilson, who had no prior relationship with the couple, also referenced the royals while presenting at the 2023 BAFTAs. “From drama to fantasy, Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview had it all,” she quipped in her nominee introduction at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Feb. 19. “Unfortunately, that’s not nominated in this category, but some incredible films are. Let’s take a look at some of the most outstanding British films this year.”

Meanwhile, Wilson might be able to empathize with her mom someday, after announcing the birth of her first child, a daughter named Royce Lillian, via surrogate, in November 2022. “I can’t even describe the love I have for her, she’s a beautiful miracle!” Wilson captioned the first Instagram photos of her newborn, on Nov. 7. “I am forever grateful to everyone who has been involved, (you know who you are), this has been years in the making.”

Shortly afterward, Wilson announced her engagement to Ramona Agruma after nearly a year of dating, on Feb. 19. Announcing the milestone on Instagram, the actor also revealed that she popped the question in front of Cinderella’s Castle at Disneyland. As we now know, however, the Disney princess isn’t the only royal Wilson knows.