Meghan Markle’s lifestyle empire appears to be facing another awkward moment.
The Duchess of Sussex is now leaning on influencer marketing to promote her As Ever brand after the company’s website reportedly saw a steep drop in traffic and her Netflix-backed push failed to take off the way many expected.
Markle, 44, shared a new promotional video on As Ever’s Instagram page on June 8 featuring influencer Olivia McDowell, who has nearly 300,000 Instagram followers.
In the video, McDowell offered summer hostessing tips while putting together cucumber sandwiches, croissants and As Ever’s raspberry spread for an afternoon tea setup.
She also used As Ever matches to light one of the brand’s pricey $64 candles as she showed fans how to make a room smell inviting.
“Whether it’s a thoughtfully set table or simply making time to gather, I believe the little details are what make guests feel welcome,” McDowell said in the clip. “And these treasures from As Ever truly elevate every moment.”
But instead of winning over critics, the video quickly sparked mockery online.
Several users on X accused Markle of hiring someone to repeat the same soft-focus hostessing tips the duchess has already used in her own promotional videos.
One critic wrote that Markle seemed “so devoid of ideas” that she brought in another influencer to deliver nearly the same pitch.
Another user joked: “Wait, she’s hired someone to do this? I thought it was a parody of her.”
A third viewer mocked the repetitive lifestyle content, saying the clips all seem to follow the same formula: flowers, candles, jam and picture-perfect rooms that look barely lived in.
The influencer push comes as Markle’s As Ever brand faces more scrutiny over its online performance.
According to Similarweb data cited by Newsweek, As Ever reportedly drew 392,111 U.S. visitors between January and May. The site reportedly had close to one million global visits, but the brand only ships within the United States.
A person with knowledge of the company defended the numbers, telling Newsweek they expected traffic to “double in size this year.”
The insider also insisted the brand was still a win, saying: “By any measure, for any startup, you can’t deny that it is anything but a success.”
Still, the numbers have raised eyebrows, especially after Markle’s Netflix partnership failed to become the lifestyle juggernaut she appeared to be aiming for.
As Ever launched in April 2025 as part of a consumer products partnership with Netflix. The brand featured items such as fruit spreads, honey, shortbread and teas tied to Markle’s lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan.
But there was one major problem: the show had already filmed its two seasons before the products were ready, meaning the items could not be featured in the series.
Netflix later canceled the show in January and announced in March that it was cutting ties with As Ever, leaving Markle’s brand without the streaming giant’s powerful support.
The latest influencer campaign now has critics wondering whether Markle is trying to rescue the brand by stepping back from being its main public face.
For a duchess who once hoped to become America’s next lifestyle queen, the road to building a booming brand is looking far bumpier than expected.