The Duchess of Sussex topped Ranker’s 2025 most disliked celebrities list with over 48,000 votes, outpacing figures like Prince Harry and Sean “Diddy” Combs. Public backlash intensified through a series of PR misfires, tone-deaf social media posts, and new commercial ventures that fueled perceptions of hypocrisy and inauthenticity.
1. “Disaster Tourists”
Meghan relaunched her Instagram on January 1 with a beach video, coinciding with the murder of Harry’s ex-nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke’s stepson in a New Orleans terror attack, drawing accusations of insensitivity. Days later on January 11, she and Harry visited Palisades Fire damage sites as “disaster tourists,” prompting backlash for exploiting tragedy for photo ops.
2.“With Love, Meghan” Netflix Debut flops
With Love, Meghan premiered March 4 to parody and low ratings (38% on Rotten Tomatoes), with viewers mocking her style as inauthentic from the choice of location (borrowing a friend’s home) to her recipes (a one-pot pasta recipe that is similar to a Martha Stewart original). A moment in the series where Meghan Markle corrected guest Mindy Kaling on the surname — “It’s so funny you keep saying ‘Meghan Markle,’ you know I’m Sussex now”.
nymag.com
Meghan Markle Makes Passive-Aggressive Name-Change Reveal
She announced her last name is Sussex by correcting Mindy Kaling on her Netflix show.
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theeverygirl.com
Review: Is Meghan Markle’s Show Out of Touch or the Cozy Escape We All Need Right Now?
‘With Love, Meghan’ shows us how she makes life’s smallest moments and interactions absolutely magical for her friends, family, and herself.
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www.buzzfeed.com
An Entire Corner Of The Internet Is Melting Down Over This One Recipe In Meghan Markle’s Cooking Show
“Netflix paid a lot of money just to let us know Meghan Markle doesn’t know how to cook pasta.”
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3. Launch of new lifestyle brand As Ever draws criticism
The “As Ever” lifestyle brand launch faltered with insiders calling it a “disaster” lacking leadership and funds, plus accusations of ripping off European designs. Photos of Meghan holding tongs upside down symbolized broader incompetence claims, while damaged goods and low sales reports hurt her image.
nymag.com
Meghan Markle’s As Ever Is Selling an Identity Crisis
My quest to buy fancy jam revealed that Meghan isn’t just confused about what her whole deal is. She also has no idea who I am.
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www.fastcompany.com
All the drama surrounding Meghan Markle’s new brand, As Ever, explained
Since Meghan Markle announced her new lifestyle brand, As Ever, back in February, it’s already been hit with multiple controversies.
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robshuter.substack.com
EXCLUSIVE: MEGHAN MARKLE’S LIFESTYLE BRAND ON THE BRINK — “OUT OF CASH, BILLS UNPAID”
PLUS: TAYLOR SWIFT’S ‘MEAN GIRLS DAY’ DROP LEAVES BLAKE LIVELY SHAKEN, AND BEYONCÉ PULLED INTO TIFFANY’S RAINBOW CONTROVERSY.
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4. Her second shot at podcasting, “Confessions of a Female Founder”, didn’t quite take off
Her April 28 Jamie Kern Lima interview to promote her new podcast was slammed as performative, including odd revelations like nightly emails to her kids. Her podcast drew predominantly scathing reviews from critics and audiences who branded it “stomach-turning,” self-indulgent and lacking substance, heavy on self-love platitudes rather than practical business advice. Commentators mocked its superficial focus on Meghan’s “unboxing experiences” and personal anecdotes over real entrepreneurial challenges like logistics, likening it to a “corporate Marie Antoinette dairy farm,” while accusations of copying an existing podcast title fueled pre-launch backlash.
www.elle.com.au
Meghan Markle’s Podcast Dropped And The Reviews Are Savage
The first episode of Meghan Markle’s podcast Confessions of a Female Founder has dropped and disclosures of preeclampsia haven’t stopped negative reviews.
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nypost.com
Meghan Markle’s new podcast ‘Confessions of a Female Founder’ hit with scathing reviews from critics: ‘Stomach-turning’
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, on Tuesday dropped the first episode of the podcast, which featured Markle’s longtime friend and Bumble dating app founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd.
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www.spectator.co.uk
Meghan Markle’s new podcast is just toe-curling and unsubtle dross
At the beginning of the debut episode of Meghan Markle’s new podcast, she is keen to assert her own identity. After flirting with tradwifedom in her most recent Netflix show With Love, Meghan, she is now casting off her brief nomenclature of ‘Meghan Sussex’, but nor should you refer to The Artist Formerly Known As The Duchess
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5. Hospital “Twerking” video drew criticism for being “distasteful”
Meghan commemorated her daughter Lilibet’s 4th birthday on Instagram with a previously unseen footage of her attempting to induce labor by dancing to Starrkeisha’s “The Baby Momma Dance”, a viral TikTok challenge at the time. Critics called the move “distasteful” and also contrary to her previous accusations of the media’s invasion of her privacy, while reigniting baseless fake pregnancy conspiracy theories.
www.usatoday.com
Duchess Meghan responds to twerking video backlash: ‘You have to be authentic’
As Ever founder and “With Love” star Duchess Meghan is responding to critics of a recent viral video, where she danced alongside Prince Harry.
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nymag.com
Meghan Markle Thinks Americans Loved Her Pregnancy Dance Video
And somehow the divisive viral clip is supposed to make them buy more As Ever products.
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www.skynews.com.au
Meghan’s twerking a ‘distasteful surprise’ in light of desires for respect
Meghan Markle gave us a fascinating example of her acting abilities a couple of weeks ago when she hosted the bonus episode of her ‘Confessions of a Female Founder’.
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6. “Insensitive” timing for her As Ever Wine Launch
Meghan Markle faces backlash for debuting her rosé wine on Princess Diana’s birthday, with critics slamming the timing as insensitive. Despite the uproar, the product sold out rapidly, mirroring the quick success of her other high-end lifestyle launches in recent months.
www.yahoo.com
Meghan Markle’s Wine Launch On Princess Diana’s Birthday Slammed As ‘Borderline Cruel’
Meghan Markle is facing backlash for launching her rosé wine on Princess Diana’s birthday, a move critics call insensitive.
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www.dailymail.co.uk
Why Meghan’s rose wine launch has Diana fans rolling their eyes
Described by the brand as ‘launching just in time for summer entertaining’, the wine will be available to buy on July 1.
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www.skynews.com.au
‘Deeply insensitive’: Meghan slammed for launching wine on Princess Diana’s birthday
‘To Di For’ podcast host Kinsey Schofield slams Meghan Markle as “tone deaf” for launching a wine on the late Princess Diana’s birthday. “As you know, Diana tragically lost her life in a car crash by an impaired driver,” Ms Schofield told Sky News host Rita Panahi. “Making the decision to launch an alcohol brand on Princess Diana’s birthday by Meghan is not just tone deaf but deeply insensitive.”
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7. Sentebale chair: “We’re not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine.”
On March 26, Prince Harry, 40, and Sentebale co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho announced their resignation as patrons of the charity they established in 2006 to honor their late mothers. The decision triggered shockwaves amid reports of internal discord and financial woes at the organization. Dr. Sophie Chandauka alleges the rift with Harry originated in April 2024, when she rejected his team’s demand for a public defense of Meghan following an awkward onstage moment that sparked negative press.
people.com
Inside Meghan Markle’s Viral Polo Moment That Sentebale Chairwoman Says Escalated Tensions with Prince Harry
Meghan Markle appeared to have an awkward exchange with Sentebale chair Dr. Sophie Chandauka at a 2024 polo match, which she says contributed to tensions with Prince Harry
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www.ft.com
Prince Harry tried to force a failure of charity he founded
The chair of an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry has accused him of trying to “force a failure” of the organisation, deepening a public row that has thrown Sentebale into disarray.
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www.yahoo.com
Meghan Markle Slammed For Silence Amid Prince Harry’s Sentebale Drama
Meghan Markle is facing backlash for staying quiet as Prince Harry’s involvement in a growing Sentebale controversy dominates headlines.
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8. Paris Fashion Week Fiasco
At Paris Fashion Week, Meghan faced outrage for a limo video where she propped her feet up in the car near Princess Diana’s crash site and giggling at a tripping model. Her Balenciaga attendance reignited past controversies, turning the event into viral fodder.
nypost.com
Meghan Markle puts her feet up on limo ride in ‘insensitive’ video near Princess Diana’s crash site
Meghan Markle took a limo ride near the tunnel where Prince Harry’s mom got into her fatal accident.
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www.skynews.com.au
‘Mean girl’ Meghan Markle under fire for laughing at model who tripped during Balenciaga show
Sky News host Rita Panahi says Meghan Markle is a “mean girl”. This comes after Meghan Markle was criticised for laughing when a model tripped during the Balenciaga fashion parade in Paris this week. “She quickly recovered there, Meghan, that is not the model,” Ms Panahi said. “Meghan Markle was about the only one that burst out laughing there.”
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pagesix.com
Meghan Markle invited herself to Paris Fashion Week, Balenciaga designer says
Two weeks ago, the “With Love, Meghan” star sent Paris Fashion Week attendees into a frenzy when she pulled up to the controversial brand’s show.
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9. The “delete” that went viral
Photos of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party initially surfaced from event coverage and posts by Jenner and Kim Kardashian, blending royal and Kardashian worlds amid chaotic headlines. The images were later deleted, reportedly at the Sussexes’ request, drawing widespread attention and prompting speculation and commentary about Meghan being a diva and offending the Kardashians.
people.com
Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner Delete Photos with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry from 70th Birthday Party
Photos of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry posted by Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner at Jenner’s 70th birthday party have been removed from Instagram.
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www.skynews.com.au
Kim drops Meghan after ‘total vibe clash’ at star-studded birthday bash
Kim Kardashian has reportedly stepped back from her friendship with Meghan Markle after a string of awkward moments led to what insiders are calling a “total vibe clash” at Kris Jenner’s lavish 70th birthday celebration over the weekend.
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nypost.com
Bad blood brewing between Meghan, Harry and Kardashians over deleted birthday photos: report
The drama over the missing photos continues.
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10. The Duchess will see you now
In Harper’s Bazaar’s 2025 cover feature on Meghan Markle, some readers took issue with how the title “the Duchess of Sussex” was used in two distinct scenes. In one, at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, Meghan’s arrival by golf cart is formally announced to a group of visiting students. In another, set in a private New York brownstone where only Meghan and the journalist are present, the household staff still introduces her as “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.” The repetition of this ceremonial framing in non-royal, even intimate, settings sparked debate among readers about whether it reflects lingering royal formality or an intentional assertion of status.
www.harpersbazaar.com
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, Meets Her Moment
After years of being subsumed by other people’s narratives, she’s ready to author her own next chapter
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www.harpersbazaar.com
An Etiquette Expert Explains Why Meghan Is Introduced as “Duchess of Sussex”
When is it appropriate to use a royal title?
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nypost.com
Meghan Markle has risen to truly comic levels of self-importance in her ridiculous Harper’s Bazaar interview
The best moment? When she is formally announced by her Duchess of Sussex title to an audience of one.
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11. Dress-gate
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, features in promotional footage for the holiday episode of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, donning a one-shoulder green Galvan “Ushuaia” gown ($1,695) while lighting candles on a holiday table. She had worn the same dress in a 2022 Variety photo shoot, sparking reports that she retained it without permission. This drew attention to journalist Vanessa Grigoriadis’s commentary on Andrew Gold’s Heretics podcast in 2024 that Markle allegedly failed to return “a lot of stuff” post the high-profile shoot.
This prompted a statement from the spokeperson of the Duchess saying “The insinuation that any items were taken without the full knowledge and agreement of the on-set stylists or their respective teams is not only categorically false but also highly defamatory. Any items kept were done so in total transparency and in accordance with contractual arrangements.”
pagesix.com
Exclusive | Meghan Markle took $1,700 fashion-shoot dress for her ‘royal archive’: source
“As a royal, she was required to archive all her looks,” said one source of the green gown-gate while another called it a “fib.”
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www.eonline.com
Meghan Markle's Rep Slams Claims She Took $1,700 Dress From Photo Shoot
Meghan Markle's rep set the record straight regarding claims she took a $1,700 dress from a 2022 photoshoot after she donned the gown again for her With Love, Meghan holiday special.
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www.yahoo.com
As a Royal, Meghan Markle ‘Must’ Take Clothes Home — Source
A new round of fashion drama is surrounding Meghan Markle, this time over a green Galvan “Ushuaia” gown and an old Chanel dress. The Duchess of Sussex appeared in her new Netflix holiday special, “With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration,” wearing a dress that many viewers recognized from her 2022 Variety cover shoot. That moment sparked debate about claims […] The post As a Royal, Meghan Markle ‘Must’ Take Clothes Home — Source appeared first on Mandatory.
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