Is Meghan Markle Copying Chip & Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Brand? We Explore The Accusations
In case you missed it, Meghan Markle soft-launched her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, back in March. "By Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Established 2024," the bio for the official Instagram account for the brand reads while showcasing nine images that come together to make one complete image of the brand's gold script logo.
Then, in April, the aspiring lifestyle entrepreneur sent out gift baskets filled to the brim with lemons and a jar of jam to the who's who of celebs including Mindy Kaling, Kris Jenner, and Chrissy Teigen. "We jammin!!" Teigen, the model and mother of four, gushed in an Instagram post on April 24. "This might have been one of the best bites we've had all year — all we used is some rustic bread, salted butter, triple cream brie, thick cut bacon and some @americanrivieraorchard jam! took about 8 mins total and made us happy for the entire weekend." Alas, some believe that Markle's new venture is a direct byproduct of her shady side and is nothing more than a chip off... well, Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia brand. Jelly, much?!
Meghan Markle has plans to peddle ALL the things
Sources told Page Six back in February that Meghan Markle had plans to take the lifestyle industry by storm. "From what I understand, I think Meghan will take on Martha Stewart, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Ina Garten and play them at their own game," the insider opined. To further bolster the argument that the duchess is eyeing a seat on the lifestyle throne, a quick peruse on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website proves that she does plan to peddle a plethora of goods and services including tableware, cutlery, cookbooks, coffee services, table linens, gift wrap, and — you guessed it — jellies and jams. Berry exciting!
Still, business consultant Rachel Richardson told the gossip column that Markle's quest to Chip and Joanna Gaines level of success would come at a hefty cost — namely when it comes to the Duchess of Sussex's privacy. "Authenticity is key in the lifestyle arena and those that succeed tend to be willing to share their whole lives," she warned. "In 'Harry and Meghan' [Netflix documentary] and the Oprah interview, Megan let cameras capture some aspects of her private life. But to pull off a successful lifestyle show she'll have to be prepared to swing the door all the way open," she explained. As you may recall, Joanna has always been very vocal about her struggles with stardom, even opening up about her rut back in 2022. Simply put, you're gonna have to "MENTION IT ALL," Meghan.
Is Meghan Markle's jam a Buckingham Palace knockoff?
Still, others argue that it's not the Magnolia brand Meghan Markle is after. Many have pointed out that American Riviera Orchard's jam is eerily reminiscent of Buckingham Palace gift shop's very own line of palatial preserves including fine cut Seville orange marmalade, strawberry preserve, heather honey, and perhaps most damning of all: orchard fruits preserve. A sticky situation, indeed. Ironically, the gift shop dropped an Instagram post on April 24, featuring their strawberry preserves, noting that their product was made with "only the finest berries and is delicious served in a variety of ways." Coincidence? We'll let you be the judge.
And while we're on the topic of all things fruit butter, we would be absolutely remiss not to point out that as far as the Gaines and their Magnolia empire goes, they do NOT have their own line of jams, jellies, or preserves BUT they do have a few recipes floating around and they also hock jelly jars. So, uh, spread the word.