The latest royal-adjacent storm has erupted in Hollywood as guests from Meghan Markle’s highly promoted Netflix cooking series have reportedly revealed a stunning secret — the Duchess of Sussex didn’t actually create or own a single recipe featured on the show. Instead, the dishes showcased in her glossy kitchen scenes were allegedly copied or adapted directly from other well-known chefs and cookbooks, leaving critics questioning the authenticity of the project.
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The series, which premiered earlier this summer, was marketed as a personal passion project, with Meghan claiming to share “family favorites” and “original creations” inspired by her own life. But now, multiple high-profile guests who appeared alongside her have privately disclosed that every recipe had already been published elsewhere, with some nearly identical to viral online versions. “There wasn’t a single moment where I thought, ‘Oh, this is Meghan’s personal dish,’” one participant reportedly said, calling the whole thing “a staged lifestyle brand shoot.”
In one eyebrow-raising episode, Meghan presented a citrus-marinated chicken dish she described as “my signature roast.” Food bloggers were quick to note that the exact same recipe — down to the lemon zest garnish — had been featured in a 2019 Bon Appétit spread. Another episode’s “homemade rustic bread” bore a suspicious resemblance to a famous sourdough tutorial that has millions of views online.
Netflix executives, eager for the show to resonate with a broad audience, reportedly pushed for a more personal angle, but the end result left even some of Meghan’s celebrity guests quietly unimpressed. “The set was stunning, the lighting perfect, but it felt like Pinterest, not personality,” one insider remarked.
What’s causing even more stir is the claim that Meghan didn’t even handle most of the cooking herself during filming. Production insiders allege that a professional food stylist and prep team did the heavy lifting, with Meghan stepping in mainly for the camera-ready moments. In post-production, these were cut together to give the impression that she had created each dish from scratch.
This controversy comes at a sensitive time for the Duchess, whose previous Netflix venture underperformed compared to initial hype. Some royal commentators say the revelations about the cooking show could damage her credibility in the lifestyle space she has been trying to dominate since leaving royal life. Meanwhile, online reaction has been brutal, with hashtags like #RecipeGate and #CopiedKitchen trending among critics.
Whether Netflix will address the allegations remains to be seen, but one thing is certain — Meghan’s latest foray into the culinary world has left a bitter taste for those expecting authenticity.