Meghan Markle Shows Out to Support Tyler Perry in a Strapless Gown With a Mile-High Slit

She cheered on her close friend in style at Paley Honors Tribute.

Meghan Markle at the Paley Center for Media honors for Tyler Perry in a black strapless gown
(Image credit: Getty Images)

There are two things I know to be certain about Meghan Markle. She'll always shut down a red carpet and she'll always show out to support her friends—often at the exact same time.

Nowhere were these two truths more obvious than on the red carpet for the Paley Honors Tribute to Tyler Perry at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills on Dec. 4. Perry has been Markle and Prince Harry's close confidante since 2018, so she'd naturally support his lifetime achievement award with her presence.

Markle and her stylist, Jamie Mizrahi, approached the evening honoring Perry's legacy in film and TV with an Old Hollywood strapless black gown by Oscar de la Renta. Its sweetheart neckline and rich, dark fabric had holiday party written all over them, but the exaggerated slit in the skirt was pure red carpet material.

Meghan Markle on the paley red carpet wearing a black strapless dress

Meghan Markle took on her Dec. 4 red carpet wearing a strapless black gown with a dramatic leg slit by Oscar de la Renta.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle and Tyler Perry at the Paley Center for Media honors wearing black outfits

Meghan Markle and Tyler Perry posed together on the red carpet before the ceremony dinner.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Markle accentuated her dress's refined neckline and skin-baring skirt with a simple updo, consisting of a teased bun with tendrils framing her face. (The look isn't that out of the ordinary—she favors a curled bun when she's not wearing her hair down.) Two accessories looked like pieces avid followers of the Duchess of Sussex's wardrobe would recognize: a diamond Logan Hollowell necklace and Stuart Weitzman heels. However, her glittering jewelry was actually custom Lorraine Schwartz and Engender, while her heels came courtesy of Celine. A coat of sugar-cookie white nail polish graced her fingertips in place of her usual bubble bath manicure.

Meghan Markle wears a black strapless gown on the Paley Center for Media red carpet

Markle appeared to pair her velvet gown with Stuart Weitzman heels and a Logan Hollowell diamond necklace.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle has kept a low profile in 2024, making public appearances primarily to voice her support for charitable causes (like the Archewell Foundation's Welcome Project) and close friends. In one of her best royal re-wears, the Duchess brought her red Carolina Herrera dress out of storage last October to attend the Children's Hospital Los Angeles benefit gala alongside her pal Kelly McKee Zajfen. A few months prior, she wore a custom white gown by Oscar de la Renta to cheer on Serena Williams as the tennis legend hosted the 2024 ESPY Awards. She simultaneously showed her support to her husband, who was accepting the Pat Tillman Award for Service.

Meghan Markle and a close friend walk the red carpet together wearing colorful dresses

Meghan Markle attended the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles benefit this fall, joining a close friend in a Carolina Herrera gown.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle with Serena Williams and Prince Harry on the red carpet at the 2024 ESPY Awards

Earlier in 2024, Markle attended the 2024 ESPY Awards to cheer on her close friend Serena Williams, and see Prince Harry accept an award for service.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

At the Paley Center Honors, Markle joined Kerry Washington, Tina Knowles, and more stars in entertainment and philanthropy to recognize Tyler Perry's decades of work in film and television. Perry's career has encompassed more than 2,000 episodes of TV and 28 feature films—which he either wrote, directed, produced, or all of the above.

Perry has been a fixture in Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's friend circle ever since the mogul reached out to Markle around the time of her royal wedding. When the Sussexes relocated to the US, Perry offered his Beverly Hills mansion for them to avoid the paparazzi. He is also the godfather to Markle's daughter, Princess Lilibet.

He addressed his close relationship with Meghan and Harry during red carpet interviews before the gala began. "They love each other," Perry said in a conversation with E! News. "They have a beautiful family and I just want the best for them."

Meghan Markle and Tyler Perry at Perry's Paley Center gala

Markle and Perry chatted on the red carpet before walking into the gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The conclusion from this week's event: Friends who walk the red carpet together, stay together. Oh, and that Angelina Jolie's 2012 Oscars gown has some competition for a black dress with a major leg slit to admire.

Editor's note: This post was updated to reflect the designers of Meghan Markle's dress, jewelry, and heels.

Shop Strapless Black Dresses Inspired by Meghan Markle

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Halie LeSavage
Senior Fashion & Beauty News Editor

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”

Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.