Meghan's Hollywood Gamble: Recruiting Stars or Just Sparkle?
Royal Romance Turns to Razzle Dazzle: Meghan's Desperate Quest for Celebrity Status
The whirlwind romance between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was the stuff of fairy tales, with their May 2018 wedding a global spectacle that left fans and foes alike starry-eyed. But behind the lavish affair and its A-list guest list, whispers began to circulate about the Duchess's true intentions: to trade in her royal duties for a life of Tinseltown glamour.
Fast-forward to 2021, and Meghan's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, has finally dropped – with disastrous results. This supposedly "inspirational" lifestyle program is less a reflection of the duchess's personal brand than a desperate attempt to cling to her fading Hollywood connections. And what a catastrophe it is!
Sources close to the production reveal that Meghan struggled to book even the most basic of A-listers, let alone the likes of Oprah Winfrey or Serena Williams. Instead, viewers are treated to an eclectic mix of Suits co-stars, socialite friends, and celebrity acquaintances – with Harry himself making a token appearance in the final episode.
The biggest stars to appear on With Love, Meghan? Abigail Spencer (Suits), Delfina Figueras (socialite wife of Harry's polo-playing chum Nacho), and chef Roy Choi. Talk about a B-list bash! Even Mindy Kaling, who appears in the second episode, can't elevate this mess to anything more than a glorified home cooking show.
The writing was on the wall when Meghan's earlier creative projects, including her short-lived podcast Archetypes, failed to deliver on their promise of A-list cameos. The Sussexes' first Netflix project, Harry & Meghan, featured Tyler Perry and Serena Williams, but even they couldn't salvage this trainwreck. And don't even get us started on the critical drubbing With Love, Meghan received, with a paltry 33% approval rating from professional critics according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In her scathing review for The Scholarly Note, Amanda Platell described it as "so awful it is almost compelling," while Variety panned the series as "a Montecito ego trip not worth taking." Even The Guardian's Chitra Ramaswamy couldn't resist calling it "vacuous, over-styled joylessness."
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told The Scholarly Note: "This, after the Hearts of Invictus series failed to grab viewers' attention and the Polo series predictably didn't either, is make or break for Meghan." He added: "Who will watch apart from the fans? Perhaps a few stay-at-home mums who can afford the luxury which Meghan obviously worships."
As the Duchess's star continues to fade, the question on everyone's lips is: How long will Netflix continue to bankroll this royal ego trip? The clock is ticking, and we can't help but wonder what other creative disasters await us from the Sussexes' production company.
Stay tuned for more juicy updates from the world of royal drama!
