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David Foster is pushing back after a red-carpet clip from his foundation\u2019s anniversary gala led some viewers to believe he had snubbed Meghan Markle.<\/p>\n
The moment happened during the David Foster Foundation\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Foster has now rejected that interpretation. In a statement shared with PEOPLE<\/a>, the music producer said he had already greeted Meghan and Harry about 10 minutes before the red-carpet photos and described them as his \u201cdear friends.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Foster said the viral clip did not show the full context of the couple\u2019s arrival. \u201cAs 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,\u201d he told PEOPLE.<\/p>\n He also praised Meghan and Harry for giving their time to the event and interacting with attendees. \u201cHarry and Meghan are dear friends of mine,\u201d Foster said, adding that there was \u201ccertainly no snub.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u201churtful lie.\u201d<\/p>\n Page Six reported<\/a> that the video drew attention after viewers interpreted Foster\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n The online debate unfolded around a major milestone for Foster\u2019s charity. The Aug. 7 black-tie gala celebrated the David Foster Foundation\u2019s 40th anniversary in Victoria, the Canadian city where the organization began. PEOPLE reported that the evening raised $14.5 million for the foundation.<\/p>\n The David Foster Foundation<\/a> provides financial support to Canadian families whose children need life-saving organ transplants, helping families stay together during the transplant process.<\/p>\n The anniversary celebration continued the following day with a free public concert at Victoria\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Meghan\u2019s appearance also attracted attention for the jewelry she chose for the evening. Vogue reported<\/a> 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.<\/p>\nFoster Said He Had Already Greeted Meghan and Harry<\/h2>\n
The Clip Sparked a Viral Debate<\/h2>\n
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The Gala Raised $14.5 Million for the David Foster Foundation<\/h2>\n
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Meghan Wore Princess Diana\u2019s Earrings for the Gala<\/h2>\n