Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has long been a polarizing figure, navigating the turbulent waters of public scrutiny since her departure from royal duties in 2020. Her latest venture, the lifestyle brand As Ever, launched in March 2025, alongside her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, has sparked both admiration and controversy. While the brand’s products—ranging from raspberry spreads to edible flower sprinkles—sold out in mere minutes, whispers of calculated marketing tactics and inflated exclusivity have cast a shadow over her entrepreneurial ambitions. This article delves into the sensational claims that Meghan employed cunning strategies to ensure her high-end food products flew off the virtual shelves, amplified by the glossy promotional platform of her Netflix show.
The Birth of As Ever: A New Chapter in Meghan’s Post-Royal Journey
Meghan’s foray into the lifestyle market is not her first. Before her royal life, she ran The Tig, a lifestyle blog that showcased her love for food, hosting, and curated living. After stepping back from royal duties and settling in Montecito, California, Meghan rekindled her passion for lifestyle branding with As Ever, initially announced as American Riviera Orchard in 2024. The brand, rebranded to As Ever in early 2025, promised to deliver “thoughtfully crafted essentials” for the home, embodying Meghan’s signature aesthetic of elegance and accessibility. The inaugural collection, launched on April 2, 2025, featured eight products, including jams, teas, and baking mixes, all promoted heavily through her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which premiered on March 4, 2025.
The series itself is a vibrant showcase of Meghan’s domestic life, filmed in a luxurious Montecito property (not her own $14.65 million mansion, to preserve her family’s privacy). Across eight episodes, Meghan invites celebrity guests like Mindy Kaling, Roy Choi, and Alice Waters to cook, garden, and craft, emphasizing joy over perfection. The show serves as a visual love letter to her brand, with products like her raspberry spread and flower sprinkles prominently featured in recipes and table settings. This seamless integration of commerce and content has drawn both praise for its creativity and criticism for its overt commercialism.
The Sell-Out Sensation: Marketing Genius or Manipulated Scarcity?
The launch of As Ever’s first collection was a spectacle. On April 2, 2025, the products sold out in under an hour, with the summer restock on June 20 following suit. Meghan celebrated these achievements on Instagram, sharing aesthetically pleasing posts of pancakes drizzled with her brand’s honey and teasing new products like a Napa Valley rosé set for release on July 1. However, the rapid sell-outs have raised eyebrows, with critics alleging that Meghan employed deliberate tactics to create an illusion of high demand.
One of the most contentious claims is that As Ever produced only limited quantities of each product—possibly as few as 10-12 units per item for the initial launch. By restricting supply, the brand could claim “sold out” status almost immediately, fueling a frenzy of exclusivity and urgency among consumers. This strategy, often used in luxury markets, taps into the psychological allure of scarcity, prompting buyers to act quickly for fear of missing out. Social media posts on platforms like X have amplified these accusations, with users labeling the sell-outs as a “scam” and questioning the authenticity of Meghan’s influence. Some have gone as far as calling her a “fraud” who leverages her royal fame to “sucker” fans into purchasing overpriced goods.
The pricing of As Ever’s products has also fueled debate. A jar of raspberry spread retailed at $9 (or $14 with keepsake packaging), while flower sprinkles—a mix of dried edible flowers—sold for $15 for a 0.17g jar. Critics argue that similar products are available on platforms like Amazon or Etsy for significantly less, questioning whether the brand’s premium pricing is justified. Meghan has defended her products as personal creations, crafted with love and inspired by her home kitchen. Yet, detractors point out that the thin, “loose” texture of her raspberry spread and the half-filled jars of flower sprinkles suggest a lack of quality control, further stoking skepticism about the brand’s value.
Netflix’s Role: A Strategic Partnership or a Commercial Overreach?
The partnership with Netflix has been pivotal to As Ever’s visibility. Meghan has described the collaboration as taking her business to “a completely different level,” with Netflix dedicating a team of 80 staff members to support the brand’s development. The streaming giant’s consumer products division, known for creating merchandise for shows like Bridgerton and Stranger Things, helped bring Meghan’s vision to life. However, this close integration has led to accusations that With Love, Meghan is little more than a glorified advertisement for As Ever.
The show’s production choices have also drawn scrutiny. Filmed in a rented $8 million Montecito estate rather than Meghan’s own home, the series presents a polished, aspirational version of her life. Scenes of Meghan sprinkling edible flowers on everything from donuts to tea sandwiches have become a running joke among critics, who mock the overuse of “flower sprinkles” as a branding gimmick. More controversially, a clip showing Meghan storing raw (later revealed to be parboiled) chicken uncovered in a refrigerator sparked outrage over food safety concerns, with viewers decrying the risk of cross-contamination. This misstep, coupled with the show’s low viewership—ranking #383 on Netflix’s 2025 list with 5.3 million views—has fueled perceptions that Meghan’s influence may be more manufactured than organic.
Despite these criticisms, Meghan’s defenders argue that the backlash is disproportionate. Supporters on social media highlight the double standard faced by female entrepreneurs, noting that similar lifestyle brands like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop have faced less vitriol for comparable ventures. They praise Meghan’s attempt to create a “safe and timeless” brand that reflects her personal passions, from hosting to gardening. The show’s renewal for a second season, already filmed and set to premiere in fall 2025, suggests Netflix’s confidence in her vision, even if viewership numbers lag behind her former show, Suits.
The Bigger Picture: Meghan’s Entrepreneurial Ambitions
Meghan’s journey as an entrepreneur is part of a broader narrative of reinvention. After leaving the royal family, she and Prince Harry signed a $100 million Netflix deal in 2020, producing projects like the docuseries Harry & Meghanand Polo. As Ever and With Love, Meghan mark a shift toward establishing Meghan as a lifestyle tastemaker, distinct from her royal past. Her plans to expand As Ever into hospitality services, including potential accommodations and dining experiences, signal ambitions to build a multifaceted empire.
However, the road to success is fraught with challenges. Meghan has openly discussed the toll of public scrutiny, emphasizing the need for reassurance from friends and family to navigate low moments. Her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, launched with Lemonada Media in 2025, further showcases her commitment to empowering women in business. Yet, the persistent criticism—ranging from accusations of copying a Mallorcan town’s coat of arms for As Ever’s logo to claims of white-labeling products—underscores the difficulty of establishing authenticity in a crowded market.
Conclusion: A Polarizing Venture in the Spotlight
Meghan Markle’s As Ever and With Love, Meghan represent a bold attempt to carve out a new identity as an entrepreneur and lifestyle guru. The rapid sell-outs of her products, amplified by Netflix’s promotional muscle, highlight her ability to generate buzz. However, allegations of manipulative scarcity tactics and the perception of her show as a commercial vehicle have sparked a firestorm of debate. Whether Meghan’s brand is a genuine expression of her passions or a calculated bid for fame and fortune remains a point of contention. As she prepares for the release of her Napa Valley rosé and the second season of her show, the world watches to see if Meghan can transform controversy into lasting success—or if the scrutiny will overshadow her ambitions.
