In the carefully curated world of the Sussexes, the “official” story fed to the media is always one of empowerment and strategic “graduation.”
Last week, the narrative that was carefully crafted and pushed by Meghan Markle’s team was that her lifestyle brand, As Ever, had outgrown its partnership with Netflix and was ready to “stand on its own.”
But as the dust settles, a far more humbling story is emerging — one that suggests the Duchess is not “graduating” so much as she is scrambling for cash in unexpected territory.
The Netflix Fallout: “No One Really Cared”
While Meghan’s spokespeople claim the split was a deliberate move to “go global” and escape Netflix’s “cautious” approach, insiders at the streaming giant’s Sunset Boulevard HQ tell a different story. According to reports, the partnership was a “failing” venture that simply could not compete with the platform’s heavy hitters.
“Netflix were not happy. They were not happy with the fact that no one really cared about the brand—so when they were looking to create As Ever areas in Netflix House, there was no appetite for it,” a Los Angeles insider revealed to the Daily Mail. “It just didn’t fit with Squid Game or Stranger Things or Bridgerton like they had hoped.”
The reality is that while Meghan was selling limited-edition jams and flower sprinkles, the metrics were “lethally unwise.” Critics point out that if the company were truly making millions, Meghan would not be jumping on a 15-hour flight to Sydney to headline a paid “girls’ weekend.”
The Australian Cash-Grab: From Oprah to Coogee Beach
The announcement of Meghan’s headlining role at the Her Best Life retreat in Sydney (April 17–19, 2026) has raised eyebrows and birthed theories across the industry and on social media.
The three-day luxury event, hosted at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, offers VIP guests the chance to pose for photos with the Duchess — for a staggering $2,272 US Dollars.
The event’s organizer, podcast host Gemma O’Neill, admitted she “almost said no” to the opportunity, feeling she did not “deserve” to interview the Duchess. However, it was Meghan who reportedly reached out to O’Neill through a mutual friend, Markus Anderson, to secure the gig.
“I’m just a mum from Sydney with a podcast,” O’Neill told her listeners. “How has Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, this incredible woman, gone from Oprah to talking on stage with just a little old me?”
For many, the answer is simple: necessity. With the Netflix “halo” ripped off and brand experts calling the split the “kiss of death” for future prestige partnerships, Meghan appears to be pivoting toward “boutique” events where she can command a high speaker’s fee while maintaining total control over the conversation.
The “Murky” Truth About As Ever
Is Meghan hiding the truth about her company’s health? The “Girls’ Weekend” in Australia — complete with morning yoga, sound healing, and a “dinner and disco” — feels a world away from the high-brow global business empire she initially promised.
If As Ever was the runaway success her team claims, the Duchess would be focused on scaling production, not posing for VIP table photos in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. As one expert noted, the move looks less like a “royal tour” and more like a “Montecito money grab.”
The question now is whether this Australian retreat is the first clue that Meghan will soon be everywhere, trying to make back the millions lost in the Hollywood shadows.
