Meghan Markle forced to issue ‘As Ever' refunds
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, promised free replacement jars to her loyal buyers — just weeks after her website experienced a similar blunder with its $28 honey.
'Due to high demand, we are unable to fulfil your order of the apricot spread at this time. We are refunding the purchase of this item by the end of this week,' a message from the royal read.
The lifestyle company assured customers that they would be 'the first to receive it, free of charge' once stock becomes available.
The popular apricot spread, which sold within an hour of it going live, retails for $9 a pop, with the special keepsake packaging on sale for $14.
Needless to say, some customers were less than pleased when they were greeted with a 404 error message after entering their card details.
'Just received an email from As Ever, they are unable to fulfil my apricot order but will give me a full refund and a free replacement when it becomes available again,' one person wrote on X. 'I only have a half a jar of my raspberry spread left. It's war tomorrow!!!'
Another person wrote on X, 'I hope they fix this. At the minimum comms should be out literally on the day instead of waiting for your product for a while and being disappointed. Not a good customer experience even though the customer service is good after the fact.'
However, other shoppers praised Markle's excellent customer service.
'A refund and the product for free when it restocks? That's top tier customer service,' one person wrote on X.
While another added on X, 'I don't even want my refund, I just genuinely want Meghan to know she is so loved!'
The apricot spread had become a fan-favourite ever since Markle teased it on her Netflix series 'With Love, Meghan.'
The spread, which is not called jam due to its lowered sugar content, is manufactured by the Republic of Tea, a US company headquartered in Larkspur, California, with its factory located 2,000 miles away in Illinois.
The company also produces Markle's pricey orange blossom honey.
The latest As Ever drop included several newbie items, notably the former royal's hotly-awaited Rosé line.
The 2023 Napa Valley Rosé launched Tuesday, but only offered customers the chance to purchase either three bottles for $90, six bottles for $159 and 12 bottles for $300.
'This debut rosé marks the beginning of As Ever's thoughtful expansion into wine, with a Méthode Champenoise Napa Valley sparkling wine planned for the near future and additional varietals to follow,' a spokesperson told The Post.
The wine range, which is produced by Fairwinds Estate in Napa Valley, saw Markle reportedly spend months developing the blend and conducting taste tests.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Teen Titans Go! To The Movies
Teen Titans Go! To The Movies Movies & Specials Superheroes Watch With the Family Watch Trailer Duration: 1 minute 12 seconds 1 m 12 s Article share options Share this on Facebook Twitter Send this by Email Copy link WhatsApp Messenger When the Teen Titans go to the big screen, they go big! By preying on the Teen Titans' desire to star in a movie, Slade sets his evil plans into motion and turns them against each other with a mind-controlling device. (2018)
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Trump inflates wealth with $930 million move
President Donald Trump has added at least $620 million ($A930m) to his fortune in a matter of months through a series of cryptocurrency ventures, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index — a dramatic and fast-moving shift in how the president and his family are generating wealth. While Trump's overall net worth has remained relatively stable — $6.5 billion ($A9.75b) on Election Day and $6.4 billion ($A9.6b) now — Bloomberg's analysis shows that digital assets and crypto-linked ventures have rapidly become the most lucrative part of his portfolio. Much of that comes from World Liberty Financial, a blockchain platform that issues its own token and a stablecoin called USD1. Bloomberg estimates that $390 million ($A585m) of the $550 million ($A825m) in token sales has gone to the Trump family, who also hold 22.5 billion World Liberty-branded tokens. Although those tokens are excluded from Trump's net worth calculation due to current transfer restrictions, their market value in June exceeded $2 billion ($A3b). The family recently reduced its stake in World Liberty from 60 per cent to 40 per cent. The crypto haul 'dwarfs the more than $34 million the Trump Organization reported taking in from real estate licensing deals last year,' Bloomberg reported. 'I am incredibly proud of our wonderful company. We have never been stronger,' Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, told the outlet. One of the highest-profile events linked to Trump's digital asset push was the creation of a memecoin under the president's name that was launched during his inauguration weekend. The Trump Organization and affiliate CIC Digital collectively hold 80 per cent of the token supply. Trump's stake in the memecoin — after liquidity discounts and trading revenue — is worth around $150 million, ($A225m) Bloomberg reported. An additional 800 million coins, worth over $7 billion ($A10.5b) are set to vest over three years beginning this month, but are not included in Bloomberg's wealth estimate. Meanwhile, the Trump family's largest real estate windfall in years came in January, when Trump National Doral won approval to build 1,500 luxury condos. That pushed the valuation of the 600-acre Miami-area golf resort from $350 million ($A525m) to $1.5 billion ($A2.25b), Bloomberg calculated. Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., the parent of Truth Social, has also significantly impacted Trump's balance sheet. The company, which reported a $401 million net loss ($A601.5m) in 2023, briefly added $4 billion ($A6b) to Trump's net worth in October. Today, Bloomberg values his stake at $2 billion ($A3b). The company is now pivoting to finance and Bitcoin. The Trump family's crypto-related business continues to expand. American Bitcoin — a spin-off from a Trump-aligned investment bank — plans to go public in a merger with Gryphon Digital Mining Inc., a Nasdaq-listed penny stock. Hut 8 Corp., a Bitcoin miner, transferred most of its mining equipment to American Bitcoin in exchange for a majority stake. The Trumps and their partners own 20 per cent of the business, which Bloomberg says is now valued at over $3 billion ($A4.5b), despite its main asset having a book value of just $120 million ($A180m). The stablecoin USD1, issued by World Liberty, received a boost when Abu Dhabi-based MGX said it used the token to make a $2 billion ($A3b) investment in crypto exchange Binance. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao — who pled guilty to US anti-money laundering violations and is reportedly seeking a pardon — is listed as an adviser to World Liberty, along with Sun and Bilal Bin Saqib, who chairs Pakistan's Crypto Council. Applying Circle Internet Group's market cap-to-circulation ratio for USDC implies World Liberty could be worth $1.4 billion ($A2.1b), Bloomberg said, although the stablecoin was excluded from Trump's net worth due to limited adoption. Another sign of the Trumps' deepening crypto ties is Eric Trump's recent announcement that World Liberty Financial will acquire a 'substantial position' in the Trump memecoin for its digital asset reserves. Yet not all of the family's ventures are fully visible. Bloomberg noted that several private efforts — including the members-only club Executive Branch in Washington, DC, and links to companies such as Metaplanet, Kalsh and BlinkRX — were not included in Trump's net worth due to opaque financial disclosures. Trump's crypto gains are also reflected in official financial filings. His June 2025 disclosure lists more than $600 million ($A900m) in income from crypto-related activity and merchandise sales through the end of 2024. The figures include $57.35 million ($A86.03m) from token sales at World Liberty Financial; $320 million ($A480m) in fees generated by the Trump memecoin (though it's unclear how much went directly to Trump-controlled entities); over $400 million ($A600m) in decentralised finance activity involving World Liberty Financial and affiliated projects; and $1.16 million ($A1.74) from NFT and digital card sales. Forbes last month estimated that Trump's total crypto-related gains could reach up to $1 billion ($A1.5b), accounting for all token sales, fees, and future distributions. That figure includes both realised and unrealised gains and assumes Trump retains a large portion of proceeds from his various ventures. The Post has sought comment from the White House and the Trump Organization.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Can ‘repulsive' Diddy stage a career comeback after his bombshell verdict?
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' supporters chanted 'Free Puff!' — and poured baby oil over themselves — outside Manhattan federal court on Wednesday after the stunning verdict in his bombshell weekslong sex trafficking trial was revealed. But could he really make a comeback? A jury convicted the once-renowned music mogul, 55, of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted him of the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have landed him in prison for the rest of his life. Combs is now facing a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the two prostitution charges. His sentencing is scheduled for October 3. Before he was arrested in September, the three-time Grammy Award winner was riding high as one of the most powerful men in music. And while his career quickly came tumbling down, the jury's shocking decision opens the door to the possibility that Combs will try to rejoin the industry and fix his battered reputation. 'I do not think the court of public opinion will be forgiving,' Ann Olivarius, the founder of the McAllister Olivarius law firm and an lawyer focused on women's rights, told The Post in a statement. 'The damage to Diddy's reputation is real, and demonstrates that the world is watching and survivors matter, even if their abusers are powerful.' David B. Allan, a professor of music marketing at Saint Joseph's University, similarly believes Combs can't make a comeback. 'Once the wave of getting off on the more serious charges settles, the music business will pass judgment and his reputation will be done,' Allan exclusively told The Post. 'Sean has always been great at p.r. and publicity, but there's no coming back from this, as this is his legacy. 'There will always be an asterisk by his name and his hits,' Allan stated. Ana Garcia, host of 'True Crime News: The Podcast,' shared a similar sentiment about Combs' future in the industry. 'Combs may have been spared life in prison but I am not so sure his career can be saved,' Garcia exclusively told The Post. 'How can you look at Diddy and not think this man is repulsive? The public cannot unsee Cassie's beating or the vile things he made her do.' 'I think Diddy's image and endorsements are ruined,' Garcia continued. 'This trial didn't up Diddy's gangsta cred. Instead, it revealed a pathetic and violent man who gets off on seeing his beautiful girlfriend urinated on. Who wants that guy endorsing your product?' Meanwhile, Tyrone Blackburn, a lawyer who is representing Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones and others in civil suits against Combs, believes the star could make a grand return. 'Because these are not viewed as the really serious claims, or serious charges, I think he may be able to come back,' Blackburn exclusively told The Post. 'I think if he shows some sort of remorse, I think if he submits an apology, I think if he falls on his sword and takes ownership for what he has done, thanks the jury for their thoroughness and says he will get some help, he possibly can,' Blackburn added. Lawyer Joel Denaro told The Post: 'Like always, people's memories will fade, and given Diddy's considerable talent, I'm sure he will flourish musically going forward.' Tony Dofat, for example, is up to collaborate with the embattled mogul again. He composed and produced hit tracks for Diddy and Bad Boy Entertainment in the '90s. 'I would definitely work together with him again. We made a lot of great records together,' he told The Post. 'Maybe going through these things will put them in a different perspective. It'll probably create a different type of art.' Jeff Apruzzese, who runs the music industry program at Drexel University, believes Combs will 'certainly try' to wiggle his way back. 'Diddy has always positioned himself as both a creator and a CEO. That said, a public-facing comeback, whether through performance or media appearances, would likely face steep resistance,' Apruzzese noted. 'If he returns at all, it's more likely to be behind the scenes in a production or mentorship role, though that still depends on whether business partners are willing to re-engage.' Combs wouldn't be the first once-disgraced celebrity to recover from a major scandal. Chris Brown was all but cancelled for getting into a domestic violence incident with then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. The Forever singer, 36, has also faced other assault allegations over the years. But Brown experienced a career resurgence with the release of his albums Breezy in 2022 and 11:11 in 2023, the latter of which won him the Grammy Award for Best R & B Album. He's also about to embark on the US leg of his Breezy Bowl XX tour from July 30 to September 20. Apruzzese doesn't think Combs can replicate what Brown has done. 'Chris Brown's return unfolded gradually and under very different cultural conditions,' the professor said. 'The nature of the allegations against Diddy and the current climate in Hollywood means people are far more cautious about public associations that could create long-term reputational risk.' Apruzzese also speculated that other famous names 'will likely keep their distance, at least publicly,' from Combs for now. 'Collaborators now have to think about brand alignment, audience expectations and potential backlash,' he noted. 'So even if relationships still exist behind the scenes, we may not see them out in the open.' Along with the current lack of public support, Combs' finances have taken a hit since he became a pariah. Forbes last year estimated the rapper's net worth at around $400 million, down from the $740 million he was worth in 2019. Before his arrest, he reportedly stepped down and later fully divested from his cable television network, Revolt. He also settled a legal dispute with spirits company Diageo, which involved him relinquishing control of his alcohol brands Cîroc and DeLeón. Combs' record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, has also been affected by his legal troubles. In 2023, he returned the music-publishing rights to the artists and songwriters who helped build the company. At the time, Combs told Variety: 'It's just doing the right thing. I think that we as an industry, and as a people, have to look in the mirror and make a shift forward. It's about evolving, leading by example and reforming an industry that needs it, in a world that needs reform.' Bad Boy has not announced any major releases since Combs' arrest. The last album Combs put out was 2023's The Love Album: Off the Grid. However, Combs was recently featured on Kanye West's new song, which also included West's 12-year-old daughter, North. West, who has also been shunned for his own controversies, has voiced support for Combs and even made a brief appearance at the trial. Combs' legal costs have certainly added up over the past year, which could also endanger his potential resurgence. Before his trial began in May, an expert told Fox News that Combs' legal defence could cost him $15 million. After the verdict, legal expert Neama Rahmani told The Post that Combs' sex-trafficking case was the 'most expensive prostitution trial in American history.' In addition, Combs' ex Cassie Ventura claimed she received a $20 million settlement in her 2023 lawsuit against the hip-hop mogul. Video evidence of Combs physically assaulting Ventura, 38, from 2016 was released last year, before she testified against Combs during the trial in May. Ventura reacted to Wednesday's verdict in a statement via her lawyer, Doug Wigdor, who said she 'paved the way' for the jury to convict Combs on the prostitution charges. 'By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice,' Ventura's lawyer said.
