EXCLUSIVE: Meghan Markle Accused of 'Staging' Her 'Vile' Princess Diana Crash Site Video to 'Stoke Publicity For Her New Wine Launch'
Meghan Markle is in hot water after doing all she can to promote her As Ever wine.
Oct. 24 2025, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle is being accused of "staging" a video near the site of Princess Diana's fatal car crash to promote her latest As Ever wine release – a move sources tell RadarOnline.com was "vile" and "desperate."
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, quietly unveiled a new product from her lifestyle brand – a 2024 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand – last week, hours before she jetted to Paris Fashion Week. But a video circulating online showing Meghan near the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, where Diana died in 1997, overshadowed her visit and ignited a furious backlash, with critics accusing her of using the moment for attention.
Video Sparks Backlash Near Diana’s Crash Site
Markle shared a video of her feet taken near Princess Diana's crash site.
According to industry sources, the footage, which showed the duchess pausing to reflect with her feet up in the back of a car near the scene of Diana's fatal car smash, was part of "behind-the-scenes" material filmed during her Paris visit – a move insiders claim was intended to "stoke publicity" around the surprise wine drop by being shot near the tragic scene.
A Hollywood insider said: "The timing felt far too deliberate to be a coincidence. Meghan's camp knew that filming anywhere near that spot would draw massive attention. Pairing it with a wine launch called 'bright and balanced' rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Promoting a product is fine – but not against the backdrop of such a tragic location."
Markle’s Wine Launch Overshadowed
She attended Paris Fashion Week wearing an all-Balenciaga outfit.'
Markle's new wine, sold under her As Ever brand, was quietly added to the company's website with little fanfare. A single Instagram post read, "We heard you missed us. We're back… and we brought a friend." The photo showed As Ever's signature preserves alongside a bottle of the new Sauvignon Blanc chilling in an ice bucket.
Priced at $30 per bottle and available in sets of three, six, or twelve, the release marks Markle's third vino under her growing lifestyle label, which launched last spring. The duchess had previously said she planned to expand the range to include sparkling wines and additional blends.
However, any hopes of a soft launch were derailed by the uproar surrounding her Paris appearance. Markle – dressed head-to-toe in Balenciaga – attended the fashion house's Spring/Summer 2026 showcase before being photographed later that evening near the Alma underpass, where Diana's Mercedes crashed.
Sources Split on Markle’s Motives
Markle launched a 2024 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc under her As Ever brand.
But a source close to the Sussexes defended the duchess, saying, "There was nothing calculated about it. It was a quiet, private moment that someone on her team happened to capture. Sadly, it's been spun into something malicious. Meghan would never deliberately use Diana's memory for attention – that idea is deeply unfair."
Still, others in royal circles have described the move as calculated.
One royal insider claimed: "The visuals were terrible. Meghan's fully aware of the significance of that place and what it symbolizes. Filming there while rolling out a luxury brand inevitably looked orchestrated – even if that wasn't her intention."
Another source added: "Meghan's under real pressure to show that As Ever can succeed on its own merits, but moments like this do more harm than good. The new wine rollout – a product launch immediately followed by a dramatic Paris appearance – felt a little too perfectly timed to be coincidental."
PR Experts Call the Moment ‘Grotesque’
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The controversy overshadowed her new wine release and Paris Fashion Week appearance.
Public reaction has been swift and harsh, with some former royal staffers labeling the moment "grotesque." A Hollywood PR strategist said: "Meghan's trying to carve out a space alongside people like Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham – polished, aspirational, and self-made. But missteps like this undermine that image. When the messaging feels contrived, it shifts the focus from her products to the drama, and that's the last thing her brand needs."
Pals of Markle's say her visit to Paris was purely to support Balenciaga's new creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli, with whom she has a long-standing friendship. Still, the fallout from the Paris trip shows no sign of fading.
One source claimed: "Everything Meghan does is watched and analyzed, but this time she gave her detractors exactly what they wanted. For someone usually so careful about her image, it was an uncharacteristic mistake."
