Meghan Markle is “literally lost” after her lifestyle business “did not work out” in the way she wanted it to, a source has claimed. The Duchess of Sussex launched As Ever earlier this year, after teasing its release for several months beforehand by sending out jam jars to various friends and influencers.
Meghan’s brand was inspired by jams and spreads she made in her own kitchen, as she famously declared back in February when announcing As Ever’s name: “I think we’re all clear here that jam is my jam.” But according to a source, things have not been peachy in Montecito regarding how As Ever is progressing.
The brand has released various products, including wine, since its launch in April, with several collections selling out within minutes. However, no official sales figures have ever been released.
A friend who is close to the Duchess told the Daily Mail: “At the moment she is literally lost because the whole jam-making business did not work out in the way she thought it would.
“Nobody has seen any figures, but I don’t think they are that good. I know they just released a Sauvignon Blanc, but it’s not going to make her lots of money because Netflix owns the business.”
The streaming giant is a partner in As Ever, with the outlet’s Alison Boshoff saying: “This would be disputed by Meghan, but certainly the streamer is an investor and will be taking a big slice of any profits.
“It is also heavily involved in running the business as Meghan, despite her talk of being a ‘female founder’, is entirely inexperienced in commerce.”
Meghan said during an interview with Bloomberg this summer that Netflix is her only partner and investor in As Ever.
When asked about her vision for her brand, she replied, “I don’t want it to feel generic, cookie-cutter, or phoned in.
“Because I know how much time I spent on it from soup to nuts. But I want it to be something that people feel excited to have in their home. And especially that people feel excited to gift.”
However, a friend of the Duchess told the outlet: “She just wants to make money, she wants to be a billionaire. The trouble is, she doesn’t know how.”