With Love, Meghan (Netflix), the series that follows the life of Meghan Markle (43), the Duchess of Sussex, is a flop. Or at least that's how it is reflected in the specialized press, in the reviews of those who have watched its eight episodes (and especially those who have not been able to finish all eight episodes), and in the poor ratings on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes, the popular website that averages user and expert opinions, where it barely reaches 11% positive votes out of a total of 250 reviews. Quite far from what could be considered a passing grade (50%).
The series is Netflix's latest production about Meghan Markle. The star of With Love...and her husband, Prince Harry, signed a $100 million deal with the platform in 2020 that ends this year. Some media outlets suggest that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may be looking to close another deal for a higher amount with other production companies.
This time, Netflix portrays the star of Suits - the legal drama that served as her launchpad - as the perfect hostess. "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, invites friends and celebrities to a beautiful California estate, where she shares cooking, gardening, and hospitality tips," explains the synopsis. In reality, it is a plasticized audiovisual product where a somewhat superficial Meghan Markle appears.
With Love, Meghan is, according to Variety, "a self-centered journey not worth taking." "The Hollywood bible," as the British tabloid Daily Mail refers to the magazine, describes its content as "forced" and believes that guests must pay the pizzo of flattery to appear in some of the stories. "They must praise her first. It's the price for sharing an afternoon in a kitchen made for her on a television set," the review continues.
The series ranks sixth in Netflix's top 10 most-watched productions. The sports comedy starring Kate Hudson or WWE wrestling generate more interest than Meghan Markle's affairs. Through Netflix, Harry's wife now shares the advice she used to give on The Tig, the blog she stopped managing when she joined the British royal family.
The idyllic portrayal of Meghan Markle on Netflix is far from the memory she left at Buckingham Palace. Employees remember her as "cold and reserved," with ups and downs, as she initially "appears warm and effusive." A woman who worked closely with the actress said that her colleagues "wanted to escape the pressure" generated by the Duchess of Sussex. "Some quit their jobs, and others had to go to therapy."
Controversy seems to follow Meghan Markle, who in recent weeks changed the name and design of her brand, with the chosen emblem bearing a striking resemblance to the shield of Porreres, a town in inland Mallorca. The brand has gone from being called American Riviera to As Ever. The alleged plagiarism was identified by a Twitter account. In fact, the municipality's City Council has handed the case over to its legal services.
Harry and Meghan was the first documentary about the Sussexes. They shared their life after their abrupt departure from the royal family. The curiosity of encountering the British royal family fugitives led to good audience ratings. Subsequently, Heart of Invictus and Polo did not maintain the ratings until With Love culminated the negative trend.
Experts suggest that Netflix, after seeing the criticism of the new production, may have decided to no longer work with the couple. In fact, Meghan and Harry have already lost a contract with Spotify, have no more editorial agreements in sight, and Archewell, the charitable foundation, has little influence.
That million-dollar contract was Netflix's complement to The Crown. The series fictionalizes the lives of Meghan's adversaries and tells the entire story of her in-laws over the years. With The Crown finished, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, may be visually exhausted. It doesn't seem very profitable.