Meghan Markle’s efforts to grow her lifestyle brand through her partnership with Netflix appear to be faltering just months after launch, according to a new Daily Mail report.
Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand As Ever struggles after launch, with products unavailable online and a shift in partnership with Netflix. (HT_PRINT)
The Duchess announced her As Ever line earlier this year, with products ranging from jam to herbal teas and flower sprinkles. The brand was also expected to feature on Netflix’s website and at the streamer’s upcoming retail stores in Philadelphia and Dallas. Yet, as of now, none of her items are listed online, and insiders suggest they may never reach store shelves.
Journalist Marina Hyde addressed the issue on her podcast The Rest is Entertainment, saying, “Meghan’s jam is supposedly for sale in the Netflix store. But they don’t even have a tab for her show. She has gone into a product partnership with them, but I’m afraid that will just peter out.”
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The Daily Mail also cited a Netflix spokesperson who confirmed that the company has never sold As Ever products on its platform.
Meghan and Prince Harry’s relationship with Netflix undergoes a shift
Prince Harry and Meghan’s initial $100 million contract in 2020 has been replaced with a more modest “first-look” deal, which allows the streaming service to pick and choose which projects to fund.
“I think Netflix has done a very neat job of pivoting away from two very expensive people who didn’t deliver… It’s not like they’re gradually uncoupling – it’s a downgrade. Netflix are not going to expose themselves to those budgets again,” PR expert Mark Borkowski told Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, the second season of Meghan’s lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, is sitting at just 136 in Netflix’s charts after two weeks of its release.
“It’s very underwhelming. It’s really down to Meghan to get the stars. Where is Oprah, Michelle Obama or a Kardashian, even? It is just a bunch of random people she knows,” one insider told the British outlet.
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This season’s guests include model Chrissy Teigen, Queer Eye’s Tan France, and Meghan’s circle of friends, such as her make-up artist Daniel Martin and pilates instructor Heather Dorak. Several chefs also appeared, many of whom already have Netflix connections.
Meghan has also shut down her ShopMy page, where she once shared curated fashion, beauty, and home picks.