What Martha Stewart really thinks about Meghan Markle 'following in her footsteps' - as she questions Duchess' 'authenticity' but lavishes praise on Gwyneth Paltrow

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

Meghan Markle has been dubbed the 'new Martha Stewart ' after reinventing herself as a homemaker and influencer after leaving royal life.
But Martha herself appears less convinced that the Duchess of Sussex could be her successor as the next Queen of Entertaining.
'I hope she knows what she's talking about', America's most trusted lifestyle expert has said, the Daily Mail can reveal today.
Ms Stewart, 83, has been accused of taking a thinly-veiled swipe question Meghan's authenticity in a new interview about celebrities following in her footsteps.
Meghan, 43, has launched her Netflix show With Love, Meghan and her As Ever brand this year, to mixed reviews.
Ms Stewart said bluntly: 'Meghan, I don't really know very well. I hope she knows what she's talking about'.
She added of the Duchess: 'Authenticity, to me, is everything, and to be authentic and knowledgeable about your subject matter is extremely important'.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle shocked fans in March as they joined forces to shutdown ongoing speculation of 'feud' between them in a special Q&A where Meghan appeared in Paltrow's kitchen
But Martha then lavished praise on Meghan and Harry's neighbour Gwyneth Paltrow, praising her 'very successful' career as an actress turned entrepreneur.
Royal watchers claimed this was more shade thrown on the Duchess, with several claiming Ms Stewart was 'calling out' Meghan.
Martha gushed in an interview with Yahoo Australia: 'Gwyneth has been very successful; she created quite an interesting body of businesses. She's admired. She won an Oscar for heaven's sake as an actress. She's pretty powerful.'
Martha's comments emerged as Meghan Markle announced another product coming to her As Ever line.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle joined forces in March an attempt to shut down rumours of a feud between them.
The 52-year-old Oscar winner addressed the speculation during an Instagram Q&A after one of her 8.7million followers asked if she was 'comprehending the Meghan Markle beef that social media says you two have?'
Paltrow, filming in the kitchen of her sprawling home in the Montecito, replied: 'I genuinely do not understand this at all, whatsoever.' She then turned her head to ask someone off screen: 'Do you understand this?'
She quickly panned her iPhone camera to her right to reveal Montecito neighbour Meghan sitting beside her at the counter, who playfully shrugged her shoulders, giggled and leaned back in her chair while eating a piece of pie.
The joint appearance comes amid comparisons between the Duchess of Sussex's new Netflix show With Love, Meghan and lifestyle brand As Ever and Paltrow's Goop empire - sparking rumours of a potential feud.
Paltrow had posted a video of herself preparing breakfast which were similar to scenes from the Netflix series. She used the song used in adverts for Meghan's series, This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole.
The actress turned wellness guru, who founded her wellness company in 2008, has defended the duchess setting up a lifestyle brand, saying 'everybody deserves an attempt at everything that they want to try'.
Meghan, 43, launched her lifestyle brand earlier this year, releasing the first products in April, which included a range of teas, a raspberry spread, and a limited-edition wildflower honey with honeycomb, amongst other things.
She followed it up with an apricot spread and another honey, and in July, she expanded into the world of alcohol when she dropped her own wine - the 2023 Napa Valley Rosé.
Each release has been met with fierce excitement from her fans, and every product has sold out pretty quickly.
Now, the Duchess of Sussex 's brand has announced another batch of her Napa Valley wine, made in 2024 unlike the last bottles, which were from 2023
'It marries the same harmony of notes from our first blend and creates an elegant medley of delicate yet memorable flavour,' reads a press release.
'You'll want to clink glasses with friends as the sun sets, toasting to a summer of joy.
'Barefoot or in sandals, dressed up or dressed down, this rosé may become your favorite accessory for alfresco lunches and dinners at dusk.'
In the release, As Ever listed some of the positive feedback customers had given the company over its first rosé, which included comments like, '10 out of 10,' 'perfect,' and 'elevated flavour.'
'This affirmed all of the love, time and effort our team, and our founder, poured into curating this blend to evoke the sun drenched spirit of Napa Valley, and the breathtaking tenor of the California Coast,' As Ever added.
'Thank you for filling our cup. Now it's time for us to fill your glass! We are pleased to share that our 2024 Napa Valley Rosé will be available for purchase next week.'
The brand also posted to Instagram with a series of images showing the new wine resting in beach sand.
It was uploaded alongside a caption that read: 'Oh, how we love seeing the world through rose colored glasses. Rosé colored glasses? Perhaps even better. Our new vintage of As Ever's beloved rosé is available next week.
'Stay tuned for more details and timing.'
As Ever's first wine went on sale on July 1 and sold out within the hour.
Customers were able to purchase three bottles for $90, six bottles for $159, and 12 bottles for $300.
But the Daily Mail's insider at Netflix, her business partner, has said that Meghan's rosé, which promises to 'capture the essence of sun-drenched outdoor moments ', has not been a huge success and this was another 'nail in the coffin' for the $100million broadcast deal.
'The wine isn't selling', they said, adding: 'There's no great demand whatsoever'.
Last month, Daily Mail exclusively revealed that the alcoholic beverage is made by Fairwinds Estate, a California winery that creates bespoke wines for celebrities.
The 2023 Napa Valley Rosé is described on the bottle as a 'delicately balanced rosé with soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish.'
It has a 14.5 percent alcohol by volume for the 750ML bottle.
The Daily Mail FEMAIL team tried the rosé and while the wine was smooth, we couldn't easily detect the notes of stone fruit. In fact, it tasted quite bland, and almost water-y.
In addition, the rosé had some acidic notes, leaving a somewhat uncomfortable sensation at the back of our throats after swallowing.
In the end, the verdict was the wine lacked flavour and tasted affordable and ordinary. It wasn't terrible - but it certainly wasn't great.
We felt the rosé just didn't taste like you bought it at a fancy vineyard, where it's supposed to be made, but rather, like a wine you would be served at a work happy hour.
The FEMAIL team also reviewed her initial set of products, and found that Meghan's raspberry spread was too thin, too sweet, and very runny.
Her hibiscus tea was extremely bitter with heavy notes of floral, with one taste tester comparing it to 'drinking lip balm.'
'It tasted like dirty dishwater,' another FEMAIL writer shared.
Some of us couldn't even bear to swallow it, as one person even spat it back into the cup.