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Six-time Olympic medalist Sunni Lee was enjoying a relaxing dinner with some of her famous friends at the upscale Japanese restaurant Sake No Hana in New York City on Wednesday night. However, the peaceful evening took an unexpected turn when Meghan Markle unexpectedly crashed their dinner party uninvited.
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According to eyewitness accounts, Lee was dining with fellow Olympian Simone Biles, singer Olivia Rodrigo, and actors Sydney Sweeney and Zendaya. The star-studded group was deep in conversation and enjoying their meal when Meghan Markle suddenly appeared at their table without an invitation.
Witnesses say that Meghan, who was dining alone at a nearby table, spotted Lee's group of A-list celebrities and decided she wanted to join them despite not being part of their party. "Meghan just came striding over to their table and was like 'oh my goodness Sunni, I'm such a huge fan I have to come say hello,'" one diner recalled. "You could tell the girls were super uncomfortable with her just crashing their dinner like that."
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While Meghan initially tried to ingratiate herself with smiles and compliments, it was clear the unwanted intrusion was not welcome. According to the eyewitness, Lee's face "just dropped" when Meghan showed up and she looked to her friends with a helpless expression. From there, tensions started rising as Meghan persistently asked the celebrities personal questions and tried to insert herself into their private conversation.
Lee and her friends made it clear through their lack of engagement that they wanted Meghan to leave, but the Duchess of Sussex refused to take the hint. After enduring Meghan's forced conversation attempts, the famously gracious Lee finally had enough. "Sunni just straight up told Meghan 'this is our dinner, we didn't invite you to join us so please go away and leave us alone,'" the witness reported.
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When Meghan continued hovering at the table against the group's wishes, Lee took even more dramatic action. She called over the restaurant's security team and had them remove Meghan from the premises. "Sunni just flagged down the security guys and pointed at Meghan and was like 'get her out of here, she's not welcome,'" the eyewitness recalled. Security then politely but firmly escorted Meghan away as she protested the entire time.
With Meghan gone, the witness noted an immediate change in the atmosphere. "You could just see the whole group relax. They were laughing and joking around again, clearly relieved to have gotten rid of the unwanted intruder."
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While representatives for both Lee and Meghan have yet to comment, insiders close to Lee say the incident upset her greatly. As a humble and gracious public figure, she feels strongly about protecting her private time with friends from unwelcome intrusions. A source told reporters that Meghan's behavior was viewed as "rude and self-centered" and an unwanted attempt to insert herself into their celebrity circle.
For Sunni Lee, who works tirelessly as both an athlete and role model, defending her boundaries was important. By standing up to Meghan's pushy actions, she showed her willingness to shut down disrespect towards herself and her companions. Lee's response has earned her widespread praise online, with many applauding her for not tolerating such behavior.
This is just the latest in a string of controversies and scandals that have followed Meghan Markle over the years. However, for Lee this incident seems to have only boosted her reputation further. While the dustup may be embarrassing for the Duchess of Sussex, Lee's poised handling of the unwanted dinner guest has further endeared her to the public. She demonstrated grace under pressure and refused to let anyone infringe on her quality time with friends - a move that will likely strengthen her heroic status even more.
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Overall, the run-in at Sake No Hana provides another example of Meghan struggling to connect with the mega-famous. Despite her royal title and celebrity profile, forcibly joining others' private functions tends to backfire. This time, she pushed her luck too far by targeting Lee and her posse of athletic and Hollywood elites. But the Olympic champion's quick and calm removal of the problem showed she won't hesitate to put unwelcome interlopers in their place - even ones with major social influence. In the future, Meghan would do well to follow Lee's shining example of humility, boundaries and respect for others' space.
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