Enough Is Enough!” Meghan Markle’s Friends Fire Back at Critics as She Distances Herself from Royals

Meghan Markle is as done as could be with the royal family – despite her hubby Prince Harry’s attempts to warm back up to his dad and brother – and has been building her own social circle in the United States that’s separate from the British elite and filled to the brim with A-list power and influential stars. A source exclusively tells Life & Style her efforts to turn herself into a Hollywood socialite have paid off as she encourages the likes of Billie Eilish and Adam Levine to step up and become more philanthropic in the wake of the L.A. fires.

“Meghan has slowly found her new group of friends,” the source says. “A lot of them are in Montecito or Santa Barbara, but there’s an L.A. contingent, too.”

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, isn’t just a social climber for the sake of appearances. The insider insists she’s focused on finding real friends she can rely on, and isn’t trying to cozy up through social media or happenstance meetings at celebrity events. “She’s met them all via other friends, so it’s all very well vetted so Meghan can be unguarded,” the insider adds.

“She has a very wide friend circle that includes neighbors like Katy Perry, Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, Traci James and her husband Brian Robbins [the head of Paramount], and of course, Oprah, as well as people she’s met in the city, who have mostly been connected through her hairdresser, who she’s now in business with.”

“They’ve hooked her up with Kerry Washington, who’s then introduced her to Jessica Alba. Now that she’s in touch with Billie Eilish she’d love to get to know her, but only if it happens organically, she isn’t about forcing things.”

Meghan Markle’s Friends Sick of People Trying to ‘Villainize’ Her (EXCL)

As Life & Style previously reported, the Duchess was quick to offer her home to those in need after the January L.A. fires devastated the area and displaced thousands. She’s even linked up with Grammy-winner Billie, 23, to give a 15-year-old superfan a welcome surprise after the kid lost her family home in the fires.

“To everyone who’s showing up for people in big and small ways to get through what’s happened in California, just thank you so much,” Meghan said as she lauded the young singer – as well as Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, who stepped up to help the same kid and spread the word about aid for those affected by the fire.

Even Jen Aniston was impressed with the former Suits actress. After years of vicious attacks in the media, a second source said The Morning Show star “knows what it’s like to be in the public eye and under scrutiny, so she has a ton of empathy for Meghan and thinks the way she’s been treated is pretty diabolical … At the same time, she’s really impressed with how Meghan’s shown such resilience.”

The first source echoed the sentiment, clearly indicating many people in the L.A. area have been equally impressed with Meghan’s tenacity: “The bottom line is Meghan’s very personal, people may love to villainize her but that certainly isn’t everyone’s view.”