“With Love, Meghan” Gets Roasted Online: “Pointless,” “Joyless,” And “An Exercise In Narcissism”
Meghan Markle's Netflix series is highly-watched but trashed by critics, debuting with a dismal 2.7/10 on IMDb.
With Love, Meghan, her latest project under the $100 million Netflix deal, feels like a rebrand attempt. The Duchess is essentially in her Nara Smith era. She’s making meals from scratch, creating homemade bath salts, and transferring Trader Joe’s peanut butter pretzels into a new, labeled Ziploc bag.
Reviews for With Love, Meghan have been abysmal. The Guardian’s Stuart Heritage called it “pointless” and suggested it should be “the couple’s last TV show.” The Telegraph described it as “an exercise in narcissism,” while The Independent gave it a single star, calling it “queasy and exhausting.” IMDb users have slapped it with a 2.7/10 rating.
Social media, as always, has had a field day. X user @DemetraAutumn accused Markle of copying Pamela Anderson’s Pamela, a Love Story, tweeting, “Guess we know who copied who!” alongside a side-by-side comparison of both women high-fiving in their respective kitchen shows.
Meanwhile, @Genevieves issued a PSA about Markle’s homemade bath salts, warning, “DO NOT MIX EPSOM SALTS WITH ESSENTIAL OILS AS THEY CAN CAUSE SKIN IRRITATIONS & BURNS!”
Commentator @justplainzack didn’t hold back in his review, writing, “What in the 2015 Pinterest series am I watching? 😆” He called out Markle for seemingly staging close friendships with guests, noting that she didn’t even know her longtime friend was left-handed. He also questioned the practicality of her food choices, remarking, “She says she uses a whole pack of pasta so her kids have some for lunch the next day. No toddlers are eating this 🤣 With greens and chili flakes 🤭”
He couldn’t ignore the aesthetic DIY moments, either. “Now we’re making eucalyptus candles from the wax that she got from her bee garden in the backyard… With a little rosemary because it’s grounding.”
A viral post mocked Markle for taking peanut butter pretzels out of their original packaging only to put them in a new, labeled bag. Newsweek picked up on the online reaction, with one user sarcastically calling her “the people’s Martha Stewart.”
The Sussex Name Controversy with Mindy Kaling
One of the show’s more viral moments came when Mindy Kaling repeatedly referred to Markle as “Meghan Markle.” Markle, smiling, corrected her: “It’s so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle; you know I’m Sussex now.”
The Duchess elaborated, “You have kids, and you go, ‘No, I share my name with my children. I didn’t know how meaningful that would be to me, but it just means so much to go; this is our family name, our little family name.”
Despite the internet’s disgruntled reaction, With Love, Meghan landed in Netflix’s Top 10 within 24 hours. Markle herself took to Instagram to thank viewers, writing, “For more recipes, fun and reasons to ‘Mmmm’, check out the show—which in just 24 hours is already in the Top 10.”
The Meghan Markle Dilemma
At its core, the struggle with With Love, Meghan is relatability – according to viewers. Martha Stewart can bake a perfect soufflé, but she’ll also tell you she’s been to prison. To the online audience, Markle seems like she’s playing house in a multimillion-dollar rental estate.
Anyway, this is just the beginning for Markle. Say what you want, but she's thriving. There’s As Ever, Markle's upcoming lifestyle brand, which is expected to launch this spring. If With Love, Meghan is a preview, expect more boutique aesthetics, artisanal product placements, and a continued attempt to position Markle as a tastemaker for the elite.
Subscribe today to get unlimited access to all of Evie’s premium content.