Meghan Markle’s With Love, Meghan Was Branded a Punchline — And Experts Say It Poisoned As Ever

Meghan Markle’s Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan has come under renewed scrutiny after a royal expert claimed the project ultimately became a punchline and damaged the credibility of her lifestyle brand, As Ever. The criticism comes after a complicated period for Meghan’s business and television ambitions, with the show having been canceled after two seasons despite initially being positioned as an important part of her return to the lifestyle space. According to OK! Magazine, the expert argued that the program did more than attract mixed reviews: it allegedly weakened the public perception of As Ever because the two projects became closely connected in the eyes of viewers. The series premiered in March 2025 and presented Meghan cooking, gardening, entertaining and sharing lifestyle advice with celebrity guests. It was designed to showcase the type of content associated with her earlier lifestyle interests and her former blog, The Tig, while simultaneously creating a platform for the products and ideas behind As Ever. Yet what was supposed to strengthen the brand instead became a source of criticism, with detractors questioning the show’s authenticity and whether its polished presentation reflected ordinary life. The controversy surrounding the series therefore became about more than television ratings. It raised a larger question about whether Meghan could successfully rebuild a commercial identity around lifestyle content while carrying the enormous public attention that comes with being a member of the Sussex family. (OK Magazine)

The original concept behind With Love, Meghan appeared straightforward: create a warm, aspirational lifestyle series in which Meghan could share recipes, entertaining ideas, gardening projects and personal stories while welcoming friends and celebrity guests. The first season featured personalities including Mindy Kaling, and the format allowed Meghan to move away from the more controversial territory surrounding her and Prince Harry’s royal history. Instead of focusing on family disputes or public controversy, the show attempted to present a softer image centered on food, friendship, creativity and everyday pleasures. Meghan also used the program to talk about her children, her relationship with Prince Harry and the values she wanted to bring into her home. In one episode, for example, she discussed preparing vegetables attractively for her children, while other segments explored cooking, hosting and gardening. The second season continued that formula, with guests such as Tan France and Chrissy Teigen joining her. Meghan also shared personal details about falling in love with Harry and spoke about family life. On paper, the concept offered a potentially valuable bridge between entertainment and commerce. But that connection was also where the problems began. Because As Ever was closely associated with the show’s lifestyle identity, criticism of the series could easily spill over into perceptions of the business. What was intended to create a recognizable lifestyle universe around Meghan instead risked making the brand itself part of every debate about whether the television persona felt genuine. (OK Magazine)

One of the biggest challenges facing the show was the question of authenticity. From the beginning, critics questioned why the series was not filmed at Meghan and Harry’s actual Montecito home, arguing that the carefully constructed setting made the program feel less spontaneous. Other commentators questioned whether the polished cooking and entertaining scenes represented the way an ordinary household would actually operate. Those criticisms became especially damaging because Meghan’s entire lifestyle strategy depended on the idea of making everyday experiences feel special and accessible. The show repeatedly emphasized the concept of elevating ordinary moments, but critics argued that some of the advice felt overly staged or disconnected from normal life. OK! previously reported that one critic questioned whether Meghan really spent her days preparing elaborate homemade food for guests or whether the series was essentially a highly produced lifestyle fantasy. That criticism matters because lifestyle brands depend heavily on trust. Viewers do not simply buy a product because it looks attractive on television; they need to believe the person recommending it understands the experience they are selling. If audiences begin to see the presentation as artificial, the credibility of the entire commercial ecosystem can be affected. This is the reasoning behind the latest expert criticism that With Love, Meghan did not merely fail to strengthen As Ever but potentially poisoned the perception of the brand by associating it with a television project that became a target for mockery. (OK Magazine)

The situation became even more complicated as As Ever attempted to establish itself independently. Meghan launched the brand as a continuation of the lifestyle interests she had previously explored through The Tig, describing it as an extension of her love of food, gardening, entertaining and thoughtful living. The company sells lifestyle products including items such as jams, candles and cookware, meaning its success depends heavily on Meghan’s ability to build an aspirational but credible connection with consumers. Initially, the Netflix partnership appeared to provide an obvious promotional engine. With Love, Meghan could demonstrate the lifestyle surrounding the products, while As Ever could give the television series a commercial identity beyond simple entertainment. But once the show began attracting criticism, that relationship became a potential liability. The problem was not necessarily that every viewer disliked the series. The first season did reach Netflix’s global Top 10 and generated substantial viewing, demonstrating that there was at least significant curiosity surrounding Meghan. The second season, however, faced a more difficult reception and reportedly failed to achieve the same momentum. OK! later reported that the series was not renewed for a third season and that Meghan was shifting her attention toward building As Ever directly. That change effectively separated the brand from the television format, but it also created a difficult question: if the show was intended to be a major platform for the business, what happens when that platform disappears? (OK Magazine)

The criticism from the royal expert is particularly significant because it focuses on credibility rather than simply ratings. A television show can receive poor reviews and still succeed commercially, while a controversial celebrity can maintain a successful business despite negative headlines. But when a lifestyle program and a lifestyle company are closely connected, negative perceptions can potentially travel from one to the other. That is why the phrase became a punchline is so damaging as a description. It suggests that the series was no longer being discussed primarily for its recipes or creative ideas, but instead for the reactions and jokes it generated. Critics have previously mocked aspects of Meghan’s lifestyle presentation, including segments involving store-bought food being transferred into more personalized packaging. These moments became symbolic for detractors who argued that the show was attempting to make ordinary activities appear unusually glamorous. Supporters, meanwhile, could argue that this was simply the nature of lifestyle television: viewers watch precisely because they enjoy seeing familiar activities presented in an attractive and aspirational way. The disagreement therefore goes deeper than whether a particular recipe or hosting trick was useful. It concerns what audiences expect from Meghan herself. Because she is such a recognizable public figure, viewers bring strong opinions with them before watching. Every detail can therefore be interpreted through the larger debate over her image, wealth, royal status and relationship with the British royal family. That makes creating an apparently simple lifestyle program far more complicated than it might be for a conventional television personality. (OK Magazine)

There is also an important distinction between the show’s cancellation and the broader future of Meghan’s lifestyle ambitions. The end of With Love, Meghan does not necessarily mean the end of As Ever or Meghan’s interest in cooking, gardening and entertaining. In fact, reports have suggested that Meghan intends to continue producing shorter lifestyle content through social media while spending more time focused on the business itself. That could eventually prove useful because social platforms allow her to communicate directly with consumers without the same constraints of a traditional eight-episode Netflix series. Instead of asking viewers to commit to a full episode, Meghan can present a recipe, product or entertaining idea in a short format and potentially connect it directly to As Ever. The approach could also give her greater control over how the brand is presented. Netflix provided enormous reach, but it also placed the show under intense scrutiny from critics and viewers. Social content may allow Meghan to experiment, respond to audience preferences and gradually rebuild credibility. At the same time, the brand still faces the challenge identified by critics: consumers must believe that As Ever represents something genuine rather than simply another celebrity commercial project. The cancellation of the series could therefore become either a major setback or an opportunity to rethink the entire strategy. If Meghan can separate the commercial identity of As Ever from the controversies surrounding the show and demonstrate real value through the products themselves, the brand may eventually establish a more independent reputation. (OK Magazine)

Ultimately, the story surrounding With Love, Meghan and As Ever is less about one failed television project and more about the difficulty Meghan faces in building a new public identity under extraordinary scrutiny. The show was intended to introduce viewers to a softer, more personal side of the Duchess of Sussex while supporting a lifestyle business inspired by her long-standing interests. Instead, it became surrounded by debates about authenticity, privilege, presentation and commercial ambition. The latest expert assessment that the program became a punchline and poisoned As Ever represents one particularly harsh interpretation, rather than an established fact about the company’s future. There are also signs that Meghan’s lifestyle ambitions have not disappeared: she has continued to focus on As Ever and has indicated an interest in cooking and crafting content outside the traditional television format. With Love, Meghan even received a 2026 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lifestyle Series, despite having no plans for a third season, showing that its legacy is more complicated than simply labeling it a failure. (OK Magazine) For Meghan, the bigger challenge now may be proving that As Ever can stand on its own rather than depending on the Netflix spotlight. If the brand succeeds independently, the canceled show could eventually become just one chapter in a much larger business story. But if the criticisms surrounding authenticity continue to follow her, the question will remain difficult to avoid: did With Love, Meghan merely fail to become the lifestyle hit Meghan wanted, or did the controversy surrounding the series permanently change how audiences see As Ever?