The shenanigans have certainly been notched up significantly in advance of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s trip to Australia. I pointed this out in another post, but it’s wild that Prince Harry plans to give a paid speech at a Melbourne event and there’s absolutely zero backlash or energy towards his gig whatsoever. Instead, there’s been wall-to-wall gossip, wailing, screaming and reporting around Meghan’s appearance at the Her Best Life retreat in Sydney. Given all of the bonkers energy around the retreat, it’s no surprise that the retreat’s organizers are being very careful about who is actually attending and whether some there are psychotic derangers or tabloid reporters paying close to $3000 just to see Meghan in person. As we’ve seen, the British press is sending UK-based reporters to Australia specifically to stalk the Sussexes’ private visit.

Well, an Australian reporter named Ariana Pezeshki also tried to weasel her way into the retreat. She paid $2699 for her ticket, then threw a fit about the lack of retreat itinerary (which she totally would have published), and soon after, her ticket was canceled and she was refunded. Pezeshki wrote about this experience for Australia’s 7 News, in a piece called: “I paid $2,699 to see Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, speak at her Sydney retreat. Then they found out I’m a journalist.” An excerpt:

I knew spending $2,699 to share a hotel room with a stranger for the chance to hear Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, speak was, on paper, a mildly unhinged decision.

But that is the peculiar power of modern women’s wellness culture: wrap something in the language of empowerment, add ocean views, a gala dinner, champagne and the promise of proximity to royalty-adjacent celebrity, and suddenly financial common sense starts to feel terribly un-evolved.

What I didn’t expect was that after inviting me, taking my money and welcoming me to the weekend, the organisers of Her Best Life would abruptly refund me the moment they realised I’m a journalist.

…Just before Easter, another email landed. The countdown was on, I was told, less than three weeks to go. The team had been “working tirelessly behind the scenes” to prepare every detail. But for “security requirements”, the full itinerary would only be shared after the long weekend. That line stopped me.

Security requirements for what, exactly? A wellness retreat? A Meghan fireside chat? By now, I had nearly $3,000 floating in the ether and still no proper itinerary, tax invoice or clarity around logistics.

Security has long been a sensitive issue for the pair since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, with Prince Harry previously saying he “does not feel safe” returning to the UK due to threats against his family. Online trolls have even claimed to have purchased tickets to the event with plans to secretly record the experience using hidden cameras and Meta glasses.

“Just in case if Meghan Markle didn’t despise me enough, she’s about to HATE ME even more. I hatched a plan with a friend who lives in Sydney to attend the best life weekend, they have been accepted & has a spot secured. Good luck figuring out who it is, Meghan,” an X account that trolls Markle wrote. The lack of details began to feel like part of a wider anxiety around control, access and who exactly they wanted in the room.

With the lack of detail, I did what any reasonable paying guest would do. I asked for a tax invoice. That was the moment everything changed. Instead of an invoice, I got a phone call attempt followed by an email that blindsided me: they had become aware that I work in media and, because this was a “closed-door experience”, they were no longer able to offer me access. My ticket would be refunded in full. Just like that, I went from invited guest to excluded attendee, not because of anything I had done, but because of what I do for work.

What makes the whole thing especially surprising is that at no point during the booking process was there any disclosed condition stating that media professionals were ineligible to attend.
No terms and conditions, no eligibility clause, no fine print.

I hadn’t requested press access. I wasn’t attending in any official capacity. I had booked as a paying customer, on a personal basis, genuinely excited by the prospect of the weekend and, yes, curious to see Meghan speak in what was being billed as an intimate women’s setting.

I even explained that my role is in shopping and affiliate editorial, hardly undercover investigative reporting on a wellness weekend. The answer remained the same: no media permitted, decision final, refund processed. And that’s where the disappointment curdled into something bigger. Because this is an event explicitly marketed around women uplifting women. Connection, celebration, meaningful conversations, community. Yet I was turned away not for bad faith, not for violating any disclosed rule, but for my job title.

[From 7 News]

At no point does Ariana Pezeshki acknowledge something very simple: why would she need a tax invoice if she wasn’t attending the retreat for business? If you go to a girls retreat for personal reasons, you can’t declare that on your taxes. She was basically announcing to event organizers that this was a business expense for her and/or that the cost of her ticket was being reimbursed by her media employer. Then, after announcing that, she’s throwing a tantrum because a private event excluded a member of the media AND REFUNDED HER. They didn’t scam her, they didn’t take her money and leave her high and dry. They were justifiably wary of her, and she’s proving why they had every right to believe she was only attending the retreat to write nasty sh-t about Meghan. The whole “I can’t believe there are so many security concerns around this event, here, let me publish the threats being made online” shtick is quite telling as well. I know a deranger op when I see one.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.