The NY Post has a new story about the Duchess of Sussex, her Netflix show With Love, Meghan, and the As Ever product line. But really, this piece is supposed to be “is Meghan capable of being authentic?” Is that really the question that the British and American media wants to pose at this point? I guess their theory is that “authenticity” isn’t quantifiable and therefore, it’s not like anyone can say with authority that yes, Meghan is authentic and real. The larger issue for all of the people trying to critique Meghan now is that Meghan is in control of her image, she has an Instagram, she has a Netflix show, she’ll have a product line and, as always, she can speak out whenever she wants and however she wants. That’s a huge problem for all of the people who have been trying to control Meghan and define her through their hate for her. Which is probably why Meg’s haters have approached all of her projects with something akin to existential dread.
Who is Meghan Markle? That’s the question that’s resonating before her new Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” premieres on March 4.
“Nobody knows who she really is,” said a TV insider who has had a glimpse at the show. “[The world] created this image of who they think she is.”
Is she a survivor, a victim, or the biggest thorn in the royal family’s side? Is Markle, as she has described herself over the past few years, “the most trolled person in the entire world” — or are she and Prince Harry, as Spotify exec Bill Simmons deemed the couple after their scrapped deal with the platform, “f–king grifters“? Even Bethenny Frankel weighed in on it this week, saying: “I think the reason [Markle] can’t win for losing is that there is a lack of identity and understanding as to exactly who she is to the audience.”
Markle is said to be “going back to her roots” with her new Netflix show, but she faces an uphill battle to prove that she can truly be authentic.
“She doesn’t claim to be perfect,” the TV insider added. “That’s what the gist of the show is — she’s just having fun. The show is really her being in her own space and doing her thing. It’s such a joyous show.”
But there is a snag. Sources told us that the As Ever lifestyle products won’t be ready for sale until a few months after the show’s launch. As Page Six previously revealed, the mom-of-two has teamed up with Netflix to sell her products. Contrary to reports, we are told there won’t be any pop-up installations or branded cafes at malls across the country.
Prince Harry makes just a brief cameo in her new show, we’re told. However, the As Ever logo includes a palm tree in a nod to the Sussexes’ California home, along with two hummingbirds — a favorite of Prince Harry’s,” an insider told People.
“Harry is a true partner,” said a source who knows the couple. “He’s happy that Meghan is sharing this part of herself again … inspiring people with beautiful ideas is one of her greatest passions. In many ways, this show is now going back to the beginning of their love story.”
LOL, why does this story even exist? I get that it was supposed to be a hit piece, but they ended up making Meghan sound mysterious and cool, and like people should tune into the show to find out what she’s really like. Back when Meghan and Harry first got together, I noted that Meghan seemed to project a cool/mysterious/unknowable vibe like Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. I do think that’s actually Meghan’s strength – yes, she’s very dorky, but I appreciate the fact that she has left room for mystery and that she has never been in our faces constantly, and there is something fundamentally unknowable about her.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Instagram.
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- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex attending the One Year to Go Event before the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 at Mountain Square Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Whistler, Canada When: 14 Feb 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- One Year to Go event before the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 at Mountain Square Featuring: Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex Where: Whistler, Canada When: 14 Feb 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- One Year to Go event before the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 at Mountain Square Featuring: Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex Where: Whistler, Canada When: 14 Feb 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend wheelchair basketball at the Vancouver Convention Centre during the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver Featuring: JJ Chalmers, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Vancouver, Canada When: 10 Feb 2025 Credit: INSTARimages
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- Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at Wheelchair Curling in Hillcrest Recreation Centre during Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 Featuring: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Vancouver, Canada When: 09 Feb 2025 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Whistler Welcome Celebration at the 2025 Invictus Games Featuring: Meghan Markle Where: Whistler, Canada When: 10 Feb 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Of course the people that have desperately been trying to rewrite the history of Meghan and who she truly is would question her authenticity because it doesn’t fit the Murdoch-BRF narrative they keep pushing. Like any of these writers have ever met Meghan or have a single clue about her feelings or authenticity. I can’t wait for March 4, I hope they all choke on her success.
The answer to their question will always be “no” because they have an image of Meghan as a demon succubus who stole their prince so unless that is how she comes across they will ALWAYS say it’s fake. The “real” Meghan, is the image they’ve created of her and these people so incapable of nuance that they don’t realise that anyone appearing on camera who is under that much scrutiny will NEVER give themselves entirely away, especially when they know half the viewers are obsessed haters. And how till they compare? They don’t know Meghan in real life to compare her to how she is on tv. It’s a catch 22, as always for Meghan. She can never be human.
Shouldn’t the thorn in the royals side be prince andrew for obvious reasons
Bill Simmons is no role model but scored points with derangers with his name calling of the sussexes .
The royals thought Diana a
Was a thorn in the side of royals. She was too good for them as are harry and Meghan
I think they’re worried about people judging her authenticity for themselves, because they want their media created persona of her to be the only narrative. It’s why even after over 2 years of her and her husband saying peep about the royal family in any interview, they still freak out about the most basic conversation they have with any sort of person on the record.
It’s harder to sell an idea about a person, if you could just go straight to the source to double check it. Want to write a story about how Meghan doesn’t have any friends? Here’s a Instagram reel with her and a friend you didn’t even know she had. Want to write about how Harry is flailing and doesn’t have anything to do all day? Here’s the Instagram photo behind the scenes of Harry meeting with politicians, Fortune 100 CEOs, top military brass in a country.
They’ve controlled the narrative so long that they worry that people can just go directly to her Instagram, can just watch the TV show she’s doing themselves, can just read Harry’s book for themselves, can just watch the docuseries, or listen to the podcast themselves. The we pay you pose model doesn’t work on them. And at the end of the day for all of their racism and everything else in the background which informs how they have chosen to present a narrative of her, it’s about the money, she drives business and is removing them from the equation.
This! M’s IG only has about 2M followers but her posts/videos probably get millions upon millions of views. They’re trying to pull this “okay but do you REALLY know her?” crap cause it’s a lot harder (not impossible though cause misogyny) for the media and BRF to continue to portray her a certain way when people have direct access to her via her IG and soon her netflix show.
The view numbers are crazy on everything she has posted, one post had over 11M views. I don’t follow what other accounts do, but to me those are pretty great numbers.
And just recently actors have been talking about how they need a million followers or something to get hired, which is lame, but I’m using it as a barometer. 11 million views is not a joke, whether its by haters or supporters. Netflix was clearly like let me get in on some of that jam. I love to think of Meghan’s team seeing all the snide remarks from royal commenters about whether Netflix will even re-sign with her all the while knowing the real situation.
🎯
I don’t care if they tell me that Meghan Is a voodoo priestess, who robbed three banks before she married Harry. I’d still watch the show.
Exactly 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
😂Sassy, that alternative universe Voodoo priestess version of Meghan and Harry would definitely be a great show!
Abroad, we American are often seen as superficial. Fake. It’s one of the stereotypes. That’s what I think the “inauthentic” is touching on, because Murdoch often drops a story in one of his publications and then quotes that story elsewhere in the world to amplify and “legitimize” it.
Do these morons really think that they authentically know any celeb with lifestyle or reality shows?
To the guttter press and derangers she is unauthentic but the rest of the world sees her for who she is and has always been and that is a truly kind and loving human being who goes out of her way to help others. They can write all the nasty articles to TRY to cast doubt it people see they are lying and so very jealous of who and what she is and will always be no matter what. Cry harder gutter press and haters.
Bill Simmons is a crass and rude man.but of course us quoted.
Too funny that they still have to use anymous insiders, as if the general, non Meghan-hating public hasn’t found out after all these years that the people close to the Sussexes all have faces and names.
And that Spotify guy, really? There’s a reason why the Obamas and the Sussexes left, and it’s got to do with the rampant racism, misogynism — Joe Rogan and his dude-bros.
Meghan will be successful on her terms with Netflix as a business partner — and the Left-Behinds and (British) media will have to deal.
That Harry is successful and well-liked was proven by the many positive voices coming out of Invictus, first of all Chris Martin and Justin Trudeau.
Not just the Obamas and the Sussexes, but people like Brene Brown left as well. It was a mass exodus of serious talent.
That was the thing that annoyed me most during that time period. People wanted to focus on what Bill Simmons said about the Sussexes, and not on his clear failure in leadership. You lost the Sussexes, the Obama’s, Brene Brown, Jemelle Hill, and a few other top talents from your podcast division in 6 months but it’s because they were the problem?
IIRC Spotify lost talent on the production side as well as they screwed over Gimlet and Parcast after they acquired them. Don’t remember the specific timeline, but Gimlet was involved in producing Archetypes and I wondered if that was one of the additional reasons Harry and Meghan moved on.
The Spotify guy is losing his audience because MAGA and everyone else realize he is not “free thinking “.
Authentic to whom?…Why does it even matter if she is authentic? She is not been problematic to anyone (well… except to the UK Royals and UK Media who want to see her fail), so again why does it matter?
8 years these people have been making money off Meghan, and they do not want her to make money off her OWN name and likeness.
She’s the ultimate girls’ girl, intelligent, ambitious, generous, and compassionate – embodying everything they claim to admire in a woman. Yet, her Blackness is the one attribute they can’t reconcile, a dealbreaker they won’t admit.
Yup. 💯💯
The reason why the British press is questioning her authenticity is because they have lost control of the narrative. Meghan having her own Instagram and show counteracts the press’ protrayal of her.
EXACTLY!
Ok, first of all “even Bethenny Frankel”? Like she’s some mystery woman who has never said a word about Meghan before?
And I have to laugh at how this piece jumps all over the place. Like the snag to Meghan’s authenticity is that the lifestyle products won’t be on sale right away and there won’t be any Netflix mall cafes? I think they mean the a snag for the show – but, really, the quality of Meghan-bashing is really getting sad. Used to be well-organized venom, but now they’re just running around taking aimless shots. Clearly an existential crisis.
It’s a sign that the press has lost control of the narrative.
Or like BF has never made nasty comments about other women also. What do you expect of someone who said that WOC should hire white men to represent their business.
came here to comment on that line, too! who cares what bethenny frankel thinks??? lol
Yes, it’s “Oooh, even Bethenny Frankel” like she’s Mother Teresa or something.
I haven’t been to a mall in years. Do they even still have mall cafes?
It depends, I guess. Here in Boston, we have the Prudential Center/Copley Place complex, which is anchored by 2 major hotels, connects to a convention center and contains a lot of high end shops and restaurants, plus various coffee places. I don’t know how the Netflix brand would fit in, but there’s a lot of tourist traffic there and it’s a nice place to go in the winter because there’s a subway stop right underneath.
You know what, I went to a teacher’s conference there years ago and yes I remember it being massive and convenient.
Oh, yeah, sure do. The Ala Moana Shopping Center has several. And lots of customers (including me!).
Reading that made me laugh, thank you 💐😂@eurydice for your cleverness 👏🏼
Psychosis is always the last stage.
This whole article, especially the Bethenny Frankenstein part, is reminding me of how they always have questions of who POC must be when in their views that aren’t fitting a certain bias or stereotype that they’ve created in their racist narrow minds. It’s how they question Kamala Harris, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama when they are entering spaces that people who look like them and have a certain DNA, in their eyes, don’t belong. It’s the “We don’t know who they are” narrative that they have used when they refused to vote for Barack and Kamala because “I need to know more about who he/she is” even though they’ve revealed more of themselves than their white counterparts and what they revealed was more positive and beneficial to everyone. It’s the “we don’t believe she’s a woman” or “pregnant” racist narrative laid on the feet of most famous black women who excel in white spaces, because she’s too strong (even with all the hell they’ve thrown at her) yet she’s too feminine at the same time. It’s the “She’s smiling and too happy” when she should be the “angry black woman” they’ve always been told that all black women are. This whole article is them assuming that we don’t know who her authentic self is because they can’t process how she isn’t who they have decided with no access and proof she has to be because as racists, people of color can’t be beautiful or handsome….they aren’t supposed to be well educated, intelligent and articulate….they aren’t supposed to be happy, smiling and charismatic….they aren’t supposed to have the life that racists white people have been told for centuries belong only to them.
Meghan has a history of being friendly, helpful, charismatic, beautiful, intelligent, dorky, fun, outspoken, passionate, articulate, happy, caring and all of these things they want to believe she hasn’t shown us. She has a lifetime of people in her life who have confirmed who she is, so if these racists don’t know who she is, it isn’t because she hasn’t shown us, it’s because they refuse to see it and acknowledge it.
Thank you Nerd! You have put this so very well and I found myself nodding along all the way through. This is exactly the way those deranged people think, and you have captured the very essence of their racism and depravity.
Well said. Meghan’s return to Instagram hurt the BM’s money and its credibility further.
@Nerd:
Brava. 💯 🎯.
I’m just so tired of all the racism, misogyny, general hatred. It’s so exhausting and disheartening.
I’m grateful to Princess Meghan for being the stand-up human that she is, and giving us something positive and happy to look forward to and enjoy.
💯 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽
@Nerd: Your post reminded me of so many articles and talking heads on tv repeatedly uttering: “Obama has to tell us who is” when he had been doing that in speeches and while campaigning across the country. I was astounded to see them doing the same thing to Kamala Harris in 2024. “Kamala Harris has to introduce herself to America.” Seriously? She’s been the Vice President of this country for the past four years! And before that she ran for president, and before that she was the U.S. Senate. No, there’s a certain point where people should just feel embarrassed to utter the same tired talking point.
Respectfully disagree with this idea Meghan has a cool/mysterious/unknowable vibe. On the contrary, she seems a remarkably open person. I knew nothing about Suits or the Tig when she hooked up with Harry. The only time she ever seemed mysterious or unknowable was when she was an integral part of the RF, as, not so slowly and surely, they curtailed her ability to express herself. Even then, there was still a genuineness and warmth to her smiles, and crowd interactions, that hinted at who she really was. Yes, CBK seemed cool and mysterious, but to me, in an elitist, NYC way, and without much depth (unless there’s a hidden history of generosity, philanthropy, scholarship, etc. I’m unaware of).
The only mystery I see about Meghan, is how she manages to get twice as much done as I ever do! Otherwise, especially in the last couple of months, she’s back in her authentic groove, and to the extent you can know a person you’ve only read about, seems to have made it pretty clear who she is. Of course, the media flacks have an issue with this, she’s not following the script anymore; warmth and genuine feeling don’t mesh well with the jealousy and bitterness rampant in the RF orbit. Meghan is thankfully far, far away from that life now, and the idiots left behind, so used to being able to control people and circumstances at their will, just can’t figure out how she (and Harry) managed to escape them.
Whether she is considered authentic or not is pretty subjective so i predict the haters in the BM already have their articles written without even seeing the show. They’re ready to cry about Meghan being cringe but also fake while trying to convince everyone else to feel the same. As opposed to believing their own eyes as they watch the show and she’s none of the things they say she is. Not looking forward to the overblown hysteria for a lifestyle show and expect Penske “legacy media” to nitpick as they do. But at the end of the day, a whole lot of people are going to watch and Meghan is going to be a little dorky, very stylish and full of fun and joyful ideas. Extremely nasty takes are going to say more about the person reacting than about Meghan. Haters gonna hate, lovers gonna love and heaps of people are gonna watch.
Page Six. What a silly question. Fill in the blank who you will.
Who is _____________? (Queen Elizabeth, Kate Middleton, Prince William }
“Nobody knows who she really is,” said a __________{palace insider) “[The world] created this image of who they think she is.”
I don’t read Page Six and could really care less about their “opinions”, I’m just really looking forward to watching Meghan’s show, getting inspired and buying the items she’s selling as soon as they are available!
The “Is Duchess Meghan capable of being authentic” comment is a not-so-thinly veiled racist jab at a biracial woman who they’re insinuating is using her white half and her royal husband to become successful. Then they throw in a couple of complimentary comments to balance out the vitriol. It’s despicable, but Page Six has never been known for its factual reporting, and quoting Bethany Frankel? That’s scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Meghan is as open as a public figure can be and thus authentic. We have tons of people saying who she was as a teen and prior to meeting Harry and she’s the same. Inky the British media pretends she isn’t. Harry as well is liked because he is genuine and spontaneous and consistent over the years in his behaviour
Now the real issue is how fake William and Kate have been from day one. They are rich brats who don’t want to work but pretend they are some relatable middle class couple. Their actions show who they are despite the endless media PR. So more projection from the right wing media.
If this is all they’ve got, I think they’re in trouble. Even when Meghan’s show is shown, they will just nitpick it. I think the media is in worse shape than I knew.
All these people writing major column inches over Meghan’s show couldn’t care less about cooking or floral arrangements or any of those things. They’re just going to stare at her and over analyze every gesture, everything she wears and her interactions. Look how they overreacted when finding out she filmed at a location that wasn’t her house. They want a reality show, which this is not. What is this authenticity they want that they think they’re not getting? I really don’t understand this angle when I just want foodie influencer content. I’m excited about all the chefs she hangs out with. I don’t need some Freudian analysis.
I think many of us feel like we know Meghan. She shared abundantly with The Tig. She was kind, knowledgeable, well traveled, had a great memory for those who interacted with her and came across as someone just sharing what she loves, which resonated with us. She shared her world, which I hope she continues to do with As Ever.
I would be cautious using Bethany Frankel for any sort of reference/ criticism. Any women who on national TV peeded in a cup is absolutely not a good source for reference or criticism .
In what way is Meghan “dorky”? I don’t think she’s socially inept or awkward in any way? In fact, her empathy and emotional intelligence are her super powers? People connect with her wherever she goes.