It’s barely been a week since Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle series, “With Love, Meghan,” premiered on Netflix. In each episode, the Duchess of Sussex shares some of her favorite recipes and hosting tips with her famous friends with a California country house providing a beautiful backdrop.
After holding a steady spot on Netflix’s Top 10 list and leaving viewers desperately searching for where they can buy every pot, knife and apron featured in the show, the streaming service has already committed to giving fans even more content. CNN reported that Netflix just renewed the show for season 2, which is scheduled to start in the fall. But while Martha Stewart, Ina Garten and Nigella Lawson have all made serious dough doing the exact same thing, not everyone is feeling the idea of the Duchess sharing secrets from her soft life with the rest of us.
A January X post from Netflix UK & Ireland announcing the show’s premiere received nearly two million views and plenty of negative comments from those who have no intention of tuning in.
“Ugh! She’s so fake. And hasn’t an original idea in her over inflated mind!” wrote one person in the comments.
“The Sun” took a few shots at the show too. A March 4 TikTok post called the show “cringe,” with lots of commenters co-signing and accusing the Duchess of being “fake” and “narcissistic.”
“Who wears a sweater draped over their shoulders like they’re on a Ralph Lauren set from 1995 while they’re “cooking”?” wrote one commenter.
Even Meg’s own father thinks she’s putting on an act for the cameras in an effort to stay relevant.
“Unfortunately Meghan has never been authentic. She has to think about everything. She’s not spontaneous,” Thomas Markle Sr. told The Daily Mail. “Everything she says is pre-planned and rehearsed. It makes me laugh because I know all her looks and expressions.”
But some are standing up for the show and the idea of watching a Black woman frosting cupcakes for a change.
TikToker @auntibuffie said she loves seeing Meghan do the things that have other people calling her pretentious – especially since white people have been doing it for years.
“This is what the girls wanna see. It’s called aspirational television,” she said. “Ya’ll mad because she got her staff running around doing things? You can’t take a Black woman, a biracial woman having stuff?
“They will never accept Megan, no matter what she does, because she’s living the fairytale they once dreamed of—except the prince chose to marry a Black woman.🙏🙏🙏🙏,” wrote someone in the comments.
Another X user agreed, saying that even though she doesn’t have Meg’s millions, she’s enjoying the content.
“Funny my broke ass watched #WithLoveMeghan multiple times and don’t see anything in it that’s ostentatious, outrageous or out of touch. I own a vitamix and le creuset and a shit ton of mason jars. So what if her income bracket is higher? Just work with what you’ve got,” they wrote.