'She's the Expert?!' Bungling Businesswoman Meghan Markle Mauled For Telling 'Fortune' She Is Convinced Her Pricey As Ever Brand Will Keep Selling Despite Global Tariffs War Catastrophe
Meghan Markle has just launched her lifestyle brand and it's not going well.
April 9 2025, Published 4:45 p.m. ET
Actress-turned-businesswoman Meghan Markle is closely watching the stock market chaos amid ever-changing tariff regulations, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The former model has just launched her already controversial lifestyle brand As Ever, which could rely on foreign companies to fulfill orders.
Markle's brand was timed to come out with her new Netflix show.
As Donald Trump plays a game of tariff chicken with the rest of the world, Markle is busy trying to finally launch her new business.
Markle, 43, opened the online door to her As Ever brand last week – and promptly sold out of everything. Tariffs on goods needed to satisfy those orders threaten her bottom line.
But she told Fortune her business is well-prepared for the volatile market: "At the moment, all of our products are currently made in the U.S., so we don’t anticipate tariffs affecting us directly.
"But as we look at the larger context of how this is going to affect the consumer day to day, I’m very grateful that in part of the conception of this brand, I wanted to create products that look more prestige, but are more accessible and affordable.
"I think during any time of recession, people still want to find creature comforts, items that can bring them joy."
Prince Harry's wife was instantly dragged by critics on Reddit, who felt like she was being condescending to consumers.
One person wrote: "It's funny that 'accessible and affordable' are also the terms that reality TV stars use when they're trying to get rich quick by selling junk."
Another blasted: "Affordable? Bring joy???? Mrs delulu is at it again."
Still, others gave Markle an economics lesson, informing her that her company could indeed be affected by global tariffs.
One person explained: "Sure, made in the US, but where are they sourced? Like, those tins, is the metal mined in the US? Are the tins manufactured in the US? Is the paper made in the US? Is the printer ink made in the US? She's just showing her ignorance here."
Another slammed: "Tell me you don't understand tariffs without telling me you don't understand tariffs, you whip-smart, well-educated woman with a freakish attention to detail."
Early reviews have not been encouraging.
Early reviews of Markle's brand new offerings have not been encouraging, with some going as far as branding her famous $12 raspberry jam a "scam" and wondering what went wrong due to its "runny" texture.
One source described the jam as "watery" to the Daily Mail – and questioned how the product was shipped.
Jane Herz wrote: "If we hadn't known better, we'd have thought it melted during its expedited journey to us. When we stuck our spoon into Meghan's raspberry spread, its consistency dripped off the silverware like a sauce."
Another reviewer agreed with Herz in their own taste test, writing on X: "Small, expensive, runny texture and not that special. I think I will stick with my regular jam.”
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Some claimed the jam resembled more of a "sauce" and slammed it as "a jar of high fructose, corn syrup and food coloring," instead of the bespoke product Markle showed off on her Netflix cooking show, With Love, Meghan.
One viral photo even showed a hair in the product as the excited customer opened the product for the first time, drawing backlash and speculation about the product's fulfillment and shipping process.
