EXCLUSIVE Meghan Markle faces 'new reputational issue' with 'messy and uncoordinated' reinvention
Meghan, 43, has always touted herself as an independent person, and has embarked on a number of projects both before and after marrying into the royal family.
She married Prince Harry, 40, in May 2018, but in 2020, the two decided to formally step down from their duties as working royals and move to Montecito, California. And the couple still live there with their two children, son Archie, six, and daughter Lilibet, three.
According to Ryan McCormick, co-Founder & Media Relations Specialist at Goldman McCormick PR, Meghan's favorability seemed to 'peak' during her royal wedding to Prince Harry, and has taken a hit since then.
'Worldwide interest also appeared to have hit its apex when Markle and her husband first burned their bridges to the Royal Family,' McCormick told Daily Mail exclusively.
'From those two notable events, I've observed the Duchess' popularity is in a steady, slow decline.'
Before Prince Harry, Meghan was an actress, starring on the hit series Suits, and an avid lifestyle blogger as the creator of The Tig, where she wrote about style, food and travel.
It was quite popular until she had to shutter its doors in 2017, ahead of her wedding.
And, while the public opinion about them started to sour after they stepped back from the royal family, it didn't stop them from getting Hollywood business deals. Together, the couple only became more lucrative as they pursued a combined $120 million deal with Spotify and Netflix.
Their faces suddenly became splashed across TV screens more than ever as they completed a series of interviews and documentaries one after another.
In addition to a tell-all 2021 interview with Oprah - in which Meghan claimed that the royals had 'concerns about how dark [Archie's] skin would be' and was denied professional help outside of the palace - she and Harry also sat down for a 2022 Netflix docuseries about their love life.
The six-episode show, which was titled Harry & Meghan, detailed their love story, but also included their true feelings about the royal family, which weren't too flattering, as she claimed they 'fed her to the wolves' when it came to the media.
The high-profile duo even included a series of bombshell claims about Prince William, as his now-estranged brother, Harry, alleged that he 'screamed at' him for stepping down from royal duties, bullied him and his wife out of the royal family, and even broke a pact to never trade negative stories about each other in the press.
At the time, members of the world's media couldn't believe their eyes as they witnessed the family feud, with NBC's Daisy McAndrew slamming the couple for making no effort to apologize for their role in the breakdown of Harry's relationship with his family, and CNN's Max Foster pointed out how one-sided the documentary was.
That same year, Meghan also launched her 'Archetypes' podcast on Spotify, where she interviewed various power players like Andy Cohen and tried to 'subvert the labels that try to hold women back.'
However, the podcast didn't seem to take off, as it was promptly canceled after one season. Meghan, Harry and the Spotify team produced only one 13-episode series of a podcast for the company, and then split.
They were later called 'f***ing grifters' by Bill Simmons, who was the Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetization at Spotify at the time.
The couple did not issue a response, instead relying on their initial joint statement with Spotify when it was first canceled, which read that they had, 'mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together,' per The New York Post.
But Meghan appeared to be undeterred as she returned to podcasting this year, producing a series with Lemonada Media called Confessions of a Female Founder, where she interviewed various female CEOs like Spanx's Sara Blakely.
However, that also seemed to flop, as it has not been renewed for a second season.
Now, fast forward to just three years later: 2025, and Meghan is once again back in the public eye as she launched her lifestyle brand, As Ever, and her hospitality show on Netflix.
In short, Meghan's back in the limelight, this time seemingly on her own terms.
Her Netflix show, titled With Love, Meghan, which featured celebrity guests like comedian Mindy Kaling, has already been renewed for a second season, and amassed 2.6 million viewers in the first week, according to People.
All three of Meghan's As Ever collections have sold out as well - even though the brand has been plagued by a number of mishaps, including overselling stock, like the apricot spread.
Now that she'll be on our screens for what appears to be the foreseeable future with Netflix, it begs the question - are all of these lifestyle ventures enough to save her public image?
According to multiple experts, it's possible that she can build back and reimagine her public image, but the clock is ticking.
Now that she'll be on our screens for what appears to be the foreseeable future with Netflix, it begs the question - are all of these lifestyle ventures enough to save her public image?
'I do think Meghan is actively working to reshape her public image and she's using these projects as tools to do it,' Stacy Jones, founder and CEO at Hollywood Branded, confirmed exclusively to Daily Mail.
'As Ever and With Love, Meghan both feel like intentional pivots. She's clearly moving away from the more polarizing royal commentary and leaning into lifestyle and wellness - all categories that are softer, more commercially friendly, and easier for audiences to connect with,' Jones explained.
However, it's not just the effort that counts here, it's the results. Jones said that Meghan's attempts to reshape her public image will depend entirely on the 'execution.'
'The intent is there, but the follow-through hasn't landed cleanly,' she shared.
'When your brand is under a microscope, even operational hiccups feel like PR disasters.'
The CEO believes that Meghan's show on Netflix is actually the smarter way to go in terms of building back some goodwill with the public.
'It's personal, curated, and focused on things that feel warm and aspirational,' she explained.
'It allows her to control her own narrative, without overt royal commentary - which is a necessary step if she truly wants to evolve how she's perceived,' Jones continued.
'She's building a brand that stands on its own - one where she's not defined by titles, but by values, taste, and personal curation,' she said.
'The challenge is that the public has a long memory and high expectations. Reinvention is possible, but it takes consistency, humility, and a clear sense of who you're becoming - not just what you're distancing from.'
Katrina Owens, founder of Knockout Marketing Directive Inc, seemed to agree. She shared that although these new projects 'signal a very clear shift to a controlled, lifestyle narrative,' there's still one problem.
'The problem with curated aesthetics and aspirational living (as depicted in these projects) is that they still feel like a nod towards her past life as a royal, even if its unintentional,' the personal branding and publicity expert told Daily Mail exclusively.
'I don't think that these new projects are different enough in brand and concept to simply enable audiences to forget her past in the royal family,' she admitted.
Owens believes that the projects will allow Meghan to rehabilitate her image eventually, but noted that there's still a lot of work to be done, due to the fact that her projects have all seemed to be 'short-lived.'
'The lack of follow-through creates a new reputational issue where audiences see her trying to shift away from her past in a way that feels messy and uncoordinated,' Owens said.
'This only amplifies the parts of her persona that have been highlighted in the past through royal-related narratives (for example: being difficult or hard to work with),' the expert continued.
'So if she is really going to transform her public perception, she needs to invest in long-term strategy that consistently positions her alongside just one or two of her media assets.'
It seems like only time will tell where Meghan's new ventures will lead - but one thing's for sure, is that there's a lot riding on it.
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Before meeting, arrange a video call first, so you can verify who they are and set clear boundaries. Ask to see their ID, too. Always meet in a public place such as a restaurant or bar first. And let a trusted friend know where you'll be and who you're meeting. Avoid sharing personal details like your home address until you feel comfortable. Never transfer money in advance, unless it's through a trusted agency platform. If you do make it to the bedroom, always practise safe sex. Due to the nature of their job, escorts will likely be sleeping with lots of people, so always use condoms. Most importantly, trust your gut. If anything feels off, walk away. Your safety and comfort are key.
