Meghan Markle received scathing criticism for selling her lifestyle brand As Ever products at her friends’ Montecito bookshop.
The Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram recently to share a glimpse with her fans of her opening her very first “pop‑up shop” at Godmother’s bookshop.
The shop is run with her close friends, literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and cosmetics entrepreneur Victoria Jackson.
Speaking with Radar Online, a PR insider slammed Prince Harry’s wife, claiming she is struggling to sell her products and is "pathetically leaning on her wealthy pals” to save face.
"It's classic celebrity crisis management,” they said. “Meghan's sales clearly need a boost, so she's calling in favors – famous friends, friendly stores, and Oprah's spotlight."
"But instead of looking savvy, it comes off as a little desperate."
A California-based retail consultant shared their two cents on the matter, claiming that Meghan used a “safe space” for the launch so she could easily “control the narrative.”
The launch was "a soft attempt at rebranding failure,” they said, adding, "It's obvious she picked that shop because it's a safe space where she controls the narrative.”
“But consumers aren't fooled – it feels staged, not genuine."
The Duchess was also mocked online by social media users, who accused her of using her rich and wealthy friends to sell her products.
"She can't sell her tat online, so now she's stacking her own shelves,” one penned, while another added, "This is pathetic.”
“She's relying on her rich friends to make her brand look relevant,”