At the 2025 Academy Awards, Conan O'Brien delivered a scorching monologue that quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the night.
His primary target was Meghan Markle’s Netflix series With Love, and the audience couldn't stop laughing as he tore into it. O'Brien ridiculed what he saw as the inflated sense of self-importance behind the documentary, which was originally intended to highlight Meghan and Prince Harry’s charitable work and their experiences with the British monarchy. Instead, it came across as yet another attempt by Meghan to cement her place in the entertainment industry.
O'Brien didn’t hold back as he jokingly noted that the Oscars, an evening meant to honor cinematic excellence, had somehow turned into a platform to critique Meghan’s persistent struggle for relevance in Hollywood. With Love, which aimed to inspire viewers with stories of compassion and perseverance, failed to resonate. Both critics and general audiences panned it for being self-indulgent, repetitive, and most damaging of all—boring. The backlash was swift, with social media flooded by negative commentary, and even Meghan’s staunchest supporters struggled to defend the project’s lack of originality or emotional depth.
Among O'Brien’s most memorable jabs was his quip, “I watched With Love, and now I truly understand suffering—not Meghan’s, but ours, having to sit through it.” The crowd erupted in laughter, and in that moment, it was clear he'd struck a chord. Hollywood, which once enthusiastically embraced Meghan and Harry’s post-royal ventures, seemed to be cooling off. With Love was just the latest in a series of misfires, following in the footsteps of earlier failed efforts like Pearl, an animated show Netflix scrapped before it even entered production.
Streaming services and producers are now growing more hesitant to attach themselves to the Sussex brand. Netflix had invested heavily in With Love, expecting a major hit, but the reality was a steep decline in viewership and widespread criticism. One Hollywood producer summed up the sentiment bluntly: "You can’t keep selling the same sob story and expect people to keep buying it."
Known for his sharp comedic edge, O'Brien continued to poke fun at Meghan's repeated attempts to present herself as a cultural authority, even highlighting the irony of a former royal trying to lecture the world about monarchy and humanitarianism. “I have to hand it to Meghan,” he joked. “She really managed to turn a love story into her own personal saga.” The audience, filled with some of Hollywood’s most influential figures, roared with laughter—an unmistakable sign that even the entertainment elite were growing weary of the Sussex narrative.
Though Meghan and Harry were not present at the Oscars, sources close to them reportedly found O'Brien's comments offensive. Still, the public reaction spoke volumes. There’s a growing fatigue surrounding Meghan’s continued attempts to reframe her story for Hollywood. The fractures in the Sussex brand are becoming more visible, and with every unsuccessful project, it becomes harder to ignore that Meghan’s efforts to establish herself in the industry are, for now, falling short.
.webp)
