Meghan Markle is facing yet another tough week in Netflix ratings, while Mindy Kaling is celebrating the overwhelming success of her new comedy, Running Point. Meghan’s latest attempt at engaging an audience—her lifestyle and cooking show With Love, Meghan—has failed spectacularly, drawing fewer viewers than a sock in a wind tunnel.
Meanwhile, Kaling took to Instagram to announce excitedly that Running Point was the most-streamed show of the week, racking up an astonishing 1.9 billion minutes watched. The comedy, inspired by Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and starring Kate Hudson, has been such a massive hit that it has already secured a second season. And guess who didn’t make it onto the top five streaming list? That’s right—Meghan Markle, the self-proclaimed “Duchess of Domesticity.”
Netflix’s top shows continue to be dominated by major hits, including 1923 starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, the thriller Zero Day, Love Is Blind, and Reacher. But Meghan’s supposedly heartfelt and oh-so-relatable series, featuring carefully curated conversations in a rented kitchen, is nowhere to be found. It’s worth noting that Mindy Kaling was once a guest on Meghan’s show, though in hindsight, it seems more like a paid promotional appearance than a genuine endorsement. During the episode, Meghan awkwardly corrected Kaling when she referred to her as “Meghan Markle,” insisting instead on “Meghan Sussex.” Yet, despite Kaling’s usual enthusiasm for promoting both her own projects and those of her friends, she has remained noticeably silent about With Love, Meghan.
Even during her own Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, when asked about Meghan, Kaling didn’t exactly leap to her defense. The warmth of a true friendship just wasn’t there. It’s not as if Meghan and Mindy were ever spotted brunching together or arranging playdates for their children. In fact, Meghan couldn’t even recall whether Kaling went all out for her kids’ birthday parties—something a close friend would likely know. But when friendships are purely transactional, the details tend to get lost. Observers have also pointed out that Kaling wasn’t even invited to Meghan’s star-studded royal wedding in 2018. Yet years later, she agreed to appear on With Love, Meghan—and for what? To be overshadowed in the ratings by her own show? To be ridiculed for giving Meghan more attention than she deserved? It appears to be yet another Hollywood friendship fizzling out faster than Meghan’s approval ratings.
At the end of the day, Kaling is soaring while Meghan is struggling. Perhaps Meghan believed that bringing a famous friend onto her show would help boost its success, but audiences clearly weren’t buying what she was selling. With Running Point already locked in for another season, Kaling has the last laugh—along with millions of viewers. Meanwhile, Meghan may need to brace herself for another harsh reality check. Netflix isn’t known for keeping underperforming shows around for long, and if this downward trend continues, she might soon find herself without a show and without the celebrity friends willing to support her.
