Overview
- Martha Stewart told People on Aug. 5 that she briefly saw Meghan Markle at a California dinner party after the duchess returned from a UK visit and said the meeting consisted of only a few words.
- Stewart said the move from acting to royalty to hosting a homemaking show “doesn’t sort of follow,” directly questioning Markle’s career pivot into the cooking and lifestyle space.
- Reporters have noted that Markle’s Netflix series With Love, Meghan ran for two seasons plus a holiday special and that Netflix later declined to commission a third season and ended its commercial tie to Markle’s As Ever brand.
- Stewart has repeatedly stressed authenticity and subject-matter knowledge in lifestyle businesses and in the same interview praised Gwyneth Paltrow’s successful lifestyle ventures as an example.
- The exchange has been widely amplified by entertainment outlets and could sharpen industry scrutiny of celebrity-driven lifestyle brands, their credibility with consumers, and future commercial deals for Markle’s As Ever.