2 weeks Ago By Grace Piercy,Connor McCrory
Meghan Markle has been bestowed with a harsh new nickname by the so-called 'mean girls' of Montecito after her lifestyle brand apparently didn't take off as expected. The local elite have sarcastically started calling the Duchess of Sussex "pumpkin spice" and " Walmart ." The unsavory moniker suggests she's sold out after engaging in what has been described by Mail columnist Lisa Kennedy Montgomery as "a series of cheap stunts.
" Meghan Markle accused of 'copying' Princess Diana in latest bold style move Meghan Markle's Netflix show brutally mocked in spoof clip as fans say 'brill' This follows efforts that include launching a Netflix show, rolling out her lifestyle brand, and introducing a new podcast. A particularly scathing commentary in The Mail said about Meghan, "She had this incredible opportunity to be the first Black woman to marry into the Royal Family and make her mark as a chic and charming revolutionary. She's so obsessed with bees? Why couldn't she stay in the Family and make honey with King Charles's bees, he loves that stuff!" Tina Brown, the former editor-in-chief at Vanity Fair, opined that the Duchess seems to be vying for a type of celebrity akin to Beyoncé or Michelle Obama, but lacks the willingness to invest the time necessary to create their kind of enduring legacy.
The brand, now named As Ever (previously referred to as the word salad name American Riviera Orchard), made its debut in March. Despite many criticisms, it saw instant success with nine products—including a $14 raspberry spread, $15 edible flower sprinkles, and wildflower honey priced at $28—selling out rapidly after launch. Restaurant chain owner Jameson Stocks, however, criticized the pricing of the items as "extreme", designed for the affluent class rather than the average consumer.
The launch of the Duchess' Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, coincided with the debut of her brand. The show featured guests such as Mindy Kaling, Roy Choi, and Alice Waters. Critics have been harsh in their reviews, with one calling the show "a Montecito ego trip not worth taking," and another describing it as "a ghastly artefact of a particular cultural era that recently met its apocalypse," With Love, Meghan has also been labeled an "exercise in narcissism, filled with extravagant brunches, celebrity pals, and business plugs.
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The Who 'axe drummer Zak Starkey son of Beatles star Ringo Starr after 30 years' [NEWS] Prince William hires Princess Diana's divorce lawyers in 'palace move' [LATEST] Meghan Markle's heartbreaking 13-word reply when asked how she was [INSIGHT] Her latest venture, the podcast Confessions of a Female Founder, hasn't fared much better, receiving criticism for being "scraping the bottom of the barrel" following attempts to feature pop culture icons like Beyonce, Taylor Swift , and Hailey Bieber. The reception from critics has been overwhelmingly negative. The Telegraph's TV critic Chris Bennion called it an "inane stream of mindless aphorisms" lacking any real confessions or revelations.
The Times criticized the podcast as "Meghan's vapid lessons in self-love," and The Guardian condemned it as both "stomach-turning" and "sycophantic.".
