Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has long been a polarizing figure, navigating the complexities of public life with a blend of ambition and scrutiny. Her latest venture, the lifestyle brand As Ever, was launched with much fanfare in February 2025, promising to bring a touch of Montecito magic to kitchens worldwide. Marketed as an extension of her love for cooking, gardening, and hosting, As Ever initially captivated audiences with its curated collection of gourmet products, including raspberry spreads, teas, and flower sprinkles. However, the brand now finds itself at the center of a firestorm, with allegations of unsafe ingredients and rotting vegetables threatening to unravel its carefully crafted image. Social media platforms are ablaze with claims that As Ever is little more than a “scheme” designed to capitalize on Meghan’s fame, leaving consumers questioning the authenticity and safety of her products.

The Rise of As Ever: A Promising Start

As Ever, rebranded from its original name, American Riviera Orchard, debuted on April 2, 2025, with a collection of six products: raspberry spread, three herbal teas (hibiscus, peppermint, and lemon ginger), crepe mix, shortbread cookie mix, and flower sprinkles. The launch was a resounding success, with products selling out in under an hour, a testament to Meghan’s star power and the allure of her lifestyle brand. In an interview with Inc., Meghan described As Ever as an extension of her personal passions, emphasizing its focus on “food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday.” The brand’s aesthetic, showcased in her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, premiered on March 4, 2025, leaned heavily into a wholesome, aspirational narrative, with Meghan presenting herself as a relatable yet sophisticated homemaker.

The initial buzz was electric. Celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and Garcelle Beauvais praised the products, and social media posts featuring Meghan’s handwritten notes accompanying PR packages fueled excitement. The raspberry spread, in particular, garnered attention, with Meghan emphasizing its “fluid texture” designed for versatility. However, beneath the glossy surface, cracks began to appear as consumers and critics scrutinized the brand’s claims and practices.

The Scandal Unfolds: Allegations of Unsafe Ingredients

The controversy erupted when social media users, particularly on platforms like Reddit, began questioning the quality and safety of As Ever’s products. The spark came from a now-infamous Instagram post on May 28, 2025, on the As Ever account, showing Meghan’s beagle, Mia, sniffing a basket of pristine vegetables—corn, leeks, squash, red bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli—allegedly harvested from her Montecito garden. Captioned “The unofficial quality inspector of this morning’s garden haul,” the post was intended to showcase Meghan’s commitment to fresh, homegrown ingredients.

However, eagle-eyed critics quickly pointed out inconsistencies. The vegetables appeared suspiciously clean, free of dirt or imperfections typically associated with homegrown produce. More damningly, many of the crops, such as sweetcorn, were out of season for Montecito, California, where Meghan and Prince Harry reside in their $14.7 million mansion. According to the California Farmland Trust, sweetcorn is typically harvested from June to September, making a May harvest highly improbable. Reddit users on the SaintMeghanMarkle subreddit were unrelenting, with one commenter sarcastically noting, “Huh. She’s so good at gardening she can grow all things from all seasons at once.” Another added, “Yup, there’s not a speck of dirt or soil on those veggies. Shop bought.”

These observations fueled speculation that the vegetables were not homegrown but purchased from a supermarket or farmer’s market, casting doubt on the authenticity of As Ever’s “artisanal” narrative. The backlash intensified when posts on X alleged that As Ever was using “unsafe ingredients” and even “rotting vegetables” in its products. One user claimed, “Questions have been raised about the authenticity of Meghan Markle’s home-style As Ever products, such as the fruit spreads,” suggesting that the brand’s claims of quality were exaggerated.

Manufacturing Revelations: A Blow to the Artisanal Image

Further scrutiny revealed that As Ever’s products, including its signature raspberry spread, were not crafted in Meghan’s Montecito kitchen as implied. Instead, they were manufactured by The Republic of Tea, a commercial food producer based in Illinois, 2,000 miles from Montecito. A source close to the brand explained that to meet demand, they “started with the version Meghan makes at home and worked to develop a version of it that could be produced at scale.” While this is a common practice for scaling artisanal brands, the revelation clashed with As Ever’s marketing, which emphasized a “crafted” product inspired by Meghan’s home kitchen. The disconnect led to accusations of inauthenticity, with critics arguing that the brand was more about “vibes and aspirations” than genuine quality.

The raspberry spread, in particular, came under fire for its runny consistency, which Meghan defended as intentional for versatility. However, consumers were less forgiving, with one social media user describing it as “goopy and runny,” questioning whether it could even be called a spread. The spread’s production in a factory setting raised further questions about ingredient quality, especially as no detailed sourcing information for the raspberries or other components was provided. The lack of transparency fueled speculation about the use of substandard or even spoiled ingredients, though no concrete evidence of rotting vegetables in the products themselves has been substantiated.

Social Media Firestorm: “This Is Simply a Scheme”

The controversy reached a fever pitch on social media, where users accused Meghan of orchestrating a “scheme” to exploit her fame. On X, a post by @TribesBritannia quoted brand experts claiming, “Meghan Markle is a ‘fraud’ and As Ever is all about ‘milking’ her fame from marrying Prince Harry to ‘sucker people into buying her stuff.’” The sentiment was echoed on Reddit, where users criticized the brand’s quick sell-outs as a marketing ploy. One commenter noted, “This is simply a marketing ploy. You make a relatively small amount available so it all gets bought, and then you can claim it’s so popular it sold out.”

The rapid sell-outs, particularly the second batch on June 20, 2025, which included new products like apricot spread and rose wine, were seen by some as evidence of artificial scarcity designed to generate hype. A PR expert told Newsweek that the lack of sustained stock reflected “a lack of confidence in their own product,” potentially alienating customers who grew “fatigued” by the unavailability. Meghan’s decision to “step back to assess” the brand’s future, announced in a May 27 interview with Fast Company, only added fuel to the fire, with critics interpreting it as an admission of failure or a pivot away from food products.

A Question of Food Safety

The most serious allegations centered on food safety, particularly after a viral moment from With Love, Meghan showed Meghan storing raw chicken uncovered in a refrigerator, prompting accusations of “unhygienic” practices. Viewers expressed horror, with one commenting, “No serious chef or person who knows food would have raw chicken on an open grate shelf above fruit or veg. Obvious she has no clue about food safety or cooking.” While this incident was unrelated to As Ever’s commercial products, it amplified concerns about Meghan’s credibility as a lifestyle guru, casting a shadow over the brand’s food safety standards.

No regulatory body, such as the FDA, has confirmed issues with As Ever’s products, and a claim on X about the brand being “removed by FDA” after a supposed intervention by “Gordon” lacks credible evidence. However, the absence of detailed ingredient sourcing and the commercial production process has left room for speculation, with consumers demanding greater transparency.

Meghan’s Response and Brand Challenges

Meghan has remained largely silent on the specific allegations, with comments turned off on As Ever’s Instagram to curb criticism. In interviews, she has emphasized the personal significance of the brand, describing it as a “love language” rooted in her experiences. She has also acknowledged the challenges of entrepreneurship, telling People that starting As Ever involved “tons of twists and turns” and a “learning curve.” Her decision to pause product launches until the first quarter of 2026 suggests a strategic retreat, possibly to address these criticisms and refine the brand’s direction.

Brand experts have been harsh, with one describing As Ever as “like the child of Martha Stewart meets Goop crashed a royal garden party, got distracted by the hydrangeas, and forgot why it showed up.” The lack of a clear brand identity—oscillating between food, hospitality, and hints of a future fashion line—has confused consumers and undermined trust. Meghan’s Montecito lifestyle, while aspirational, has also been criticized as “out of touch,” with her $1,000 Loro Piana flats and pristine white outfit in the garden haul post drawing mockery for being impractical for actual gardening.

The Bigger Picture: Authenticity in the Spotlight

The As Ever controversy highlights broader issues about authenticity in the influencer-driven lifestyle market. Social media amplifies both praise and criticism, and Meghan’s high-profile status makes her a lightning rod for scrutiny. While some defend her, arguing that small “cheats” like store-bought vegetables are harmless in the pursuit of a curated image, others see it as emblematic of a deeper disconnect. As one Independent writer noted, “If the content is inauthentic, it can leave a bad taste. But when Meghan’s garden bounty is so delicious, who cares whether she did or didn’t grow it?”

Yet, for a brand built on the promise of authenticity, these allegations are particularly damaging. The suggestion that As Ever relies on “vibes and vague aspiration” rather than substance has resonated with critics who view it as a calculated attempt to monetize Meghan’s royal connection. The social media backlash, while often speculative, reflects a public demand for transparency and accountability, especially when it comes to food safety and quality.

What’s Next for As Ever?

As Meghan navigates this scandal, the future of As Ever hangs in the balance. The brand’s partnership with Netflix and its renewal for a second season of With Love, Meghan suggest continued investment, but the pause in product launches indicates a need for reevaluation. Expanding into home goods and potentially fashion, as Meghan hinted in interviews, could diversify the brand but risks further diluting its identity.

For now, the allegations of unsafe ingredients and rotting vegetables remain largely unproven, driven by social media speculation rather than hard evidence. However, the controversy underscores the challenges of building a lifestyle brand under intense public scrutiny. Whether As Ever can recover depends on Meghan’s ability to address these concerns, provide transparency, and deliver products that live up to the promise of her carefully curated image. As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: the world is watching, and Meghan’s next move will be critical.