Meghan Markle's new Netflix cooking show sparked a major backlash but some felt the Duchess of Sussex was a victim of "misogynoir."
The lifestyle program With Love, Meghan comes out on January 15 and is set to blend traditional cooking with a look inside the royal's celebrity friendships, including with Mindy Kaling and Abigail Spencer.
The series has already got people talking but sparked a significant backlash, particularly among conservatives, with Meghan McCain responding to the official trailer by saying: "This is why the world doesn't like you."
Meanwhile, on TikTok fans of Meghan took aim at the royal's critics with some suggesting race might be factor in the reception she received, though it should be noted that none targeted these criticisms at McCain specifically.
Why It Matters
Meghan and Harry's Netflix deal is thought to be winding down in 2025 which means With Love may well be one of the last shows they do with the platform. It is therefore potentially a final or near final opportunity for her to try to land a ratings success that is not tied to her time in the royal family.
The initial backlash included U.S. voices and was not confined to the British tabloids, who the Sussexes have long framed as the villains of their story.
But it did, needless to say, reflect a longstanding dividing line in that conservatives were among the prominent critics of the couple, renowned for being progressive.
What To Know
Meghan's show does at least appear to be cooking up a storm online, which may set it up for slightly better viewer numbers than other recent Sussex projects.
The couple's first offering, Harry & Meghan, soared to the top of the Netflix rankings in December 2022 but was criticized in America for raking over the coals of their royal exit one too many times.
Since then, they have not found anything like that mass market audience with follow up projects Live to Lead, Heart of Invictus and Polo, while Meghan's family animation Pearl was cancelled during production.
What People Are Saying
Meghan McCain was among the more prominent critics of the trailer, writing in a post on X that was viewed 1.2 million times: "Now that she wants to be American again instead of British aristocracy what she seems to forget is Americans want real, raw, uncensored. All of this even in the trailer is highly curated, produced and out of touch.
"There have been 2 terror attacks in 2 days, major wars raging and Americans can't pay for groceries. We are a country in rage, uncertainty and intensity right now.
"This concept is ill advised. I would have told her to do a show helping bring fresh food to food deserts in low income neighborhoods. Do something to help people instead of your ego.
"This is why the world doesn't like you, nothing else. Just completely and utterly tone deaf to the moment."
The world is on fire, but Meghan Markle is here to teach us how to make gourmet donuts and fancy flower arrangements.
Here are my thoughts on her new Netflix show: pic.twitter.com/HG8TjTJHgL
Link Lauren, a former senior adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said in a video on TikTok: "Meghan Markle the Duchess of Scamalot just dropped the trailer for her new Netflix show and let me just say it was one of the most out of touch things I've seen in a while.
"Most Americans right now, most people in the world, are struggling to put food on the table, they're struggling to pay their rent, to pay their mortgage.
"Who wants to watch an ex-duchess traipse around her mansion picking flowers?"
Meghan Markle Fans Defend 'With Love'
TikTok creator Tricia Nichole responded to his comments with her own video: "I want to see a rich duchess married to a prince in her big beautiful mansion and her beautiful kids cooking delicious meals.
"I wanna see all her celebrity friends, including Tyler Perry, the Godfather of Lilibet. I wanna see her making hummus."
"I do see a lot of think pieces come across my For You Page of people saying why do they hate her so much. Misogynoir."
Chef Adrian Lipscombe took issue with an article in Eater headlined: "I'm Already Bored by Meghan Markle's New Netflix Cooking Series."
Lipscombe wrote on Threads: "What frustrates me most about this piece is how easily it falls in line with the tabloid noise surrounding her.
"Instead of offering a professional critique, interviewing her, or asking thoughtful questions, you've chosen to sensationalize for clicks. That's not the journalism or standard many of us want from you.
"And let's talk about the bigger picture here—where are the Black female-led shows and roles in the food world?
"Representation is already so scarce, and now, a show that has the potential to spotlight food, culture, and storytelling is being torn apart before it even has a chance. This isn't just about Meghan Markle."
"I've had the pleasure of meeting Meghan over food," she wrote. "And let me tell you, she and her well-known significant other are some of the most down-to-earth people I've ever met."
What Happens Next
Meghan's cooking show drops on Netflix on January 15, when fans will get to see the most up close portrait of her since her Archetypes podcast in 2022, only this time with video as well as audio.
There will also be a chance to gain insight into her celebrity friendship circle in California, including Montecito neighbor Tracy Robbins, wife of Paramount CEO Brian Robbins.
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about Charles and Camilla, William and Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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