EXCLUSIVE: Behind Meghan Markle's 'Sad Last Ditch' Rebrand as a Gwyneth Paltrow-Copycat 'Entrepreneur' — 'She Knows It's Her Final Roll of the Dice Before Slipping into Obscurity'
Sources claimed Meghan Markle's lifestyle rebrand is a last-ditch effort for relevancy.
March 11 2025, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle's recent rebrand of her Gwyneth Paltrow dupe As Ever has been called a desperate last-ditch effort for relevancy as she attempts to claw her way back into Hollywood, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Ahead of the debut of her Netflix cooking show, With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex shared the exciting news her long-awaited – and delayed – lifestyle brand was renamed from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever.
Markle announced her As Ever rebrand ahead of her Netflix cooking show debut.
She explained in an Instagram post the revamped branding "As Ever essentially means 'as it's always been.'"
Markle, 43, added: "I've always loved cooking and crafting and gardening – this is what I do."
The Duchess also went on to explain her previous brand name "limited" her to products "manufactured and grown" in the Santa Barbara area, though she clarified she "secured" the As Ever trademark in 2022.
Markle previously dealt with trademark issues prior to her rebrand.
Markle notably did not mention the hassles she endured while trying to launch America Riviera Orchard, which was first announced in March 2024.
In September 2024, her trademark application was denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A month later, well-known food and gift brand Harry & David filed a protest claiming her brand name was too similar to its Royal Riviera line.
Despite the difficulties with America Riviera Orchard, Markle seemed up-beat and unbothered in her Instagram video.
Sources said Markle – here with Prince Harry – showing more of her personal life is an attempt to 'be relatable to her followers.'
A source told us: "She's clearly trying to deflect the disaster. People think she's avoiding the issue and trying to gloss over it."
The insider added: "Having to change her brand's name is an embarrassment for Meghan. It looks bad from a credibility standpoint, like she and her team don't know what they're doing.
"Things are already off to a bumpy start. People around Meghan are worried that behind her apparent enthusiasm, the stress is really gnawing at her."
The insider said Markle's rebrand was an 'embarrassment' and noted 'a lot of people are counting' on her brand and cooking show to do well.
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Meanwhile, Markle has flooded her social media with content promoting her As Ever line, as well as her Netflix show.
In one snap, she shared daughter Lilibet, three, running across a grassy lawn, as well as a post gushing about husband Prince Harry for Valentine's Day.
The source noted: "She's obviously trying to be more relatable to her followers. She's trying to show that she's just like them."
They further pointed out what a "calculated move" it was to show more of her children in recent post, as Markle has previously gone to great length to keep them out of the public eye.
The insider added: "Meghan knows there's a lot of curiosity about her life and her kids – and she's throwing people a bone. Don't underestimate her. Anything she does seems to be a way to get publicity and attention."
As RadarOnline.com has reported, there's a lot of pressure on Markle's lifestyle brand, as well as her cooking show, to do well after several failed attempts to break back into Hollywood with husband Harry.
Harry's Netflix Polo series turned out to be a flop and Markle's $20million Spotify deal for her Archetypes podcast was axed.
Our insider said: "A lot of people are counting on her, as is Netflix. If the show's a flop, then Meghan and Harry will be back to first base.
"And then they'll have to come up with a whole new marketing strategy."
