Meghan Markle has made headlines once again, stepping into the realm of culinary entertainment.
However, her latest Netflix project, With Love, Meghan, feels less like an innovative venture and more like a familiar recipe borrowed from Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table. From the moment the trailer begins, it’s evident that Meghan’s concept of culinary storytelling draws heavily from the beloved queen of rustic home cooking, Joanna Gaines. While imitation is a common form of admiration, Meghan’s version offers little that feels original.
Consider the visual aesthetic — sleek kitchens, a serene ambiance, and dreamy vibes abound. Yet, haven’t we already seen this perfected by Joanna? Sure, the settings differ. Joanna invites us into her charmingly rustic 1800s stone farmhouse in Texas, while Meghan showcases an $8 million farmhouse in Montecito. But beyond the backdrop, the overall style feels remarkably similar. Even the garden scenes, where Meghan plucks fresh herbs with a flourish, seem lifted straight from Joanna’s playbook. You can almost hear the production team saying, “Let’s have Meghan stroll through the garden — it’ll feel so fresh!” Unfortunately, Joanna’s iconic garden moments have long since set the standard, making Meghan’s efforts feel more imitative than innovative.
And let’s talk about Meghan’s tagline: “We’re not in the pursuit of perfection; we’re in the pursuit of joy.” Sound familiar? It should — Joanna has conveyed nearly the same sentiment before. She once reflected, “Cooking can be about obsessing over the finished product or simply enjoying the process.” It seems Meghan has simply repackaged this wisdom, presenting it as her own heartfelt insight. But let’s be honest: Meghan’s version feels less about joy and more about borrowing someone else’s spotlight.
If you were hoping Meghan would bring a fresh perspective to the table, think again. The promotional photos for With Love, Meghan show her in a crinkled $950 maxi dress, arranging flowers barefoot (because, of course, casual authenticity sells). The gown drags on the ground in yet another attempt at effortless charm, although one wonders why no one on set thought to mention how impractical it looks. Then there’s the picturesque yet puzzling table setup: a honey spoon with no honey, two jars of jam, a pie in the background, and flowers being trimmed right where one might eat. It’s a perfect example of style over substance — visually enchanting but entirely impractical.
Lastly, there’s the tone-deafness. While Meghan crafts idyllic moments of wonder, many viewers are just trying to stretch their grocery budgets. Her fairy-tale approach to domesticity feels disconnected from the struggles of everyday life.
In the end, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s true, perhaps we owe Joanna Gaines a nod of gratitude for being Meghan’s inadvertent muse.
