Katherine Ryan has withdrawn her support for Meghan Markle after accusing the former royal of lying in her new Netflix show, in which she cooks with celebrity pals.
Katherine Ryan has retracted her support for Meghan Markle, accusing the Duchess of Sussex of dishonesty following the release of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, which has faced a barrage of criticism.
The 41-year-old comedian, who had previously been an advocate for Prince Harry’s wife, expressed disillusionment with Meghan’s portrayal of her past.
Katherine highlighted inconsistencies in Meghan’s recounting of her upbringing and skepticism over Meghan’s claim of being unaware of Prince Harry’s prominence prior to their meeting.
She commented: “I liked Meghan Markle. I was rooting for Meghan Markle… though she is very Hollywood – even for me – and I don’t like that in people. I see now, and maybe it’s just the projects she’s choosing, it does feel like she has lied about whether she knew who Prince Harry was, and these details about her childhood change and don’t add up.”
In 2022, Katherine praised Meghan’s assertiveness and potential to invigorate the Royal Family, stating: “I love Meghan Markle’s voice and her confidence to challenge the norm and what’s expected of her in that role.”
Yet, on a recent episode of her podcast, Telling Everybody Everything, she pointed out contradictions between Meghan’s description of her family meals on the Netflix show and previous interviews.
She observed: “She said on her new Netflix show that they ate TV dinners growing up. But then in an old interview, she was like, ‘we would eat farm fresh’. Her whole act just seems very manicured and very forced.”
Katherine chimed in with her observation, pointing out that Meghan is perhaps “not a bad person” but driven by lucrative ambitions: “I’ve known a lot of Hollywood people – they’re not bad people. I don’t think she’s a bad person, but I think she likes cosying up to celebrities and she wants the hundred million dollar deal and she likes the fact that she’s married to a prince.”
Amusingly candid about Meghan’s disposition, Katherine remarked: “Of course. But I would rather someone lean into that and be like: ‘Oh my God, I used to be on Suits and now I’m married to a prince!’ I would rather that than this act of: ‘Oh, I’m just so humble.'”.
In With Love, Meghan, viewers find the former royal ensconced in her vast kitchen, casually conversing with star-studded guests about homely topics like kimchi preparation and crafting ice cubes. Surrounded by flattering soft lighting and candidly discussing culinary delights such as spaghetti, Meghan appears quite at home.
Yet, audiences haven’t warmed to the show, with some branding it unimpressive.
Meghan’s father has levelled criticisms at his daughter for being “inauthentic”, even as her staunch supporters have poured acclaim on the programme, leading Netflix to greenlight a second season.
Weighing in on the show’s reception, Katherine speculated: “People are hate-watching it. Who knows what Netflix are doing? They are smart – whether they love something or hate something, whatever keeps them watching more episodes.”
She quipped that Meghan “doesn’t seem to be the kind of gal I would want to be friends with”, and concluded: “If this was Netflix’s intention, to be like, let’s throw Meghan under the bus where even people who really liked her are turning… not against her, but… she just doesn’t seem to be the kind of gal I would want to be friends with. It’s too manicured, it’s too beige.”
