Martha Stewart takes aim at Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand: ‘I hope she knows what she’s talking about’

Martha Stewart, America’s OG homemaking billionaire, has made a not-so-subtle dig at aspiring lifestyle guru Meghan Markle and her As Ever brand.

America’s queen of shade is back, and she’s taking no prisoners.

Martha Stewart has made a not-so-subtle dig at aspiring lifestyle guru Meghan Markle following the launch of her As Ever brand.

The original lifestyle extraordinaire, 83, didn’t mince words when asked about the Duchess of Sussex’s foray into the world of hosting — saying she truly hopes the “Suits” alum “knows what she’s talking about.”

“Meghan, I don’t really know very well. I hope she knows what she’s talking about,” Stewart told Yahoo Lifestyle earlier this week.

“Authenticity, to me, is everything, and to be authentic and knowledgeable about your subject matter is extremely important.”

Meghan Markle has sold out of her As Ever product range in less than an hour but has also faced backlash. Picture: Supplied

Martha Stewart in front of the Sydney Opera House this year. America’s favourite hostess has made a dig at Meghan Markle. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

And while the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia founder appeared to reserve praise for Markle, she had a totally different opinion about fellow lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow.

“Gwyneth has been very successful; she created quite an interesting body of businesses,” she said of the Goop founder.

“She’s admired. She won an Oscar for heaven’s sake as an actress. She’s pretty powerful,” she said, adding that her career as an entrepreneur is “very successful.”

Still, Stewart is not stopping anyone from venturing into the world of home and hospitality, saying she wishes them all “good luck.”

Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand is “very successful” according to Martha Stewart. Picture: Rachel Murray/Getty Images

Markle’s apparent rebrand was described as “inauthentic” by several royal experts.

Following the release of her Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” the former actress was compared to the likes of Stewart and Nigella Lawson, 65, both of whom have built strong brands from their lifestyle-focused business ventures.

In January, the New York Times noted that Markle’s lifestyle-guru plan is reminiscent to that of the pair, both of whom overcame public scrutiny and achieved “profitable” results.

When asked if she’s seen the former working royal’s project, Stewart said she hadn’t gotten round to watching the show yet.

Meghan Markle has released some new items in her As Ever range but faces accusations of “inauthenticity”. Picture: Supplied

New items in the As Ever range. Picture: Supplied

“Has it started?” Stewart asked during an April “Access Hollywood” interview, while promoting NBC’s cooking competition show “Yes, Chef.”

“I’ll watch an episode and see how she does,” she concluded, before noting that she “is curious.”

Earlier this month, official figures showed that Markle’s project failed to rank among Netflix’s top 300 most-watched titles between January and June 2025.

The New York Post confirmed that Markle’s eight-part series ranked 383rd with just 5.3 million views since its March 4 debut — unprecedented numbers for a Netflix original that has been renewed.

The series has since been bashed by critics and earned lower viewership numbers than her and her husband’s 2022 series “Harry & Meghan” — with IMDB giving it just 3.2 out of 10.

While Netflix still plans to release the second season of the cooking show, it will be the last — given that Markle and Prince Harry’s $100 million deal with the streamer has reached a dead end.

- This story first appeared in the New York Post.

Originally published as Martha Stewart takes aim at Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand: ‘I hope she knows what she’s talking about’