"The hero we never knew we needed" - Netizens debate whether Gwyneth Paltrow subtly shaded Meghan Markle's cooking show in viral clip

American actress and businesswoman Gwyneth Paltrow shared an Instagram video post on March 23, 2025, showing herself cooking breakfast in her kitchen while sporting a no-makeup look.

In the wake of the now-viral clip, fans think she threw an alleged subtle shade at Meghan Markle, whose Netflix show With Love Meghan released earlier this month.

In it, the Duchess of Sussex invites famous friends to a rented property near her home in Montecito, California, and shares cooking, gardening, and hosting tips while being dressed up.

Meanwhile, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Instagram video showed her wearing striped pajamas, going makeup-free, and playing with her dog. It began with the 52-year-old sipping her early morning coffee while baking a pan full of biscuits in the oven. She then high-kicked and kissed her pet.

When the biscuits were ready, she started frying her eggs. The clip ended with Gwyneth Paltrow showing off her breakfast plate comprising of freshly baked biscuits, eggs, bacon, and jam. The post was captioned:

“My cleaner take on a classic breakfast: gluten-free buttermilk biscuits, not-so-perfectly cooked over-easy eggs, and crispy bacon #boyfriendbreakfast.”

While some netizens now think her casual way of cooking was an indirect shade at Meghan Markle’s new series, Paltrow’s use of Natalie Cole’s This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) as the tune of her video, further made them speculate that it was meant for Markle.

This is because Meghan’s show’s promo used the same tune. Likewise, the monogrammed mug used by Gwyneth and the presence of a dog were other similarities observed by fans.

Amid this, social media users are debating whether or not Gwyneth meant to take a dig at the Suits actress. For instance, Reddit user @Uniqueishname commented under @Roohsmama on the @r/SaintMeghanMarkle community forum.

“Gwyneth is the hero we never knew we needed,” the Redditor wrote.

A netizen comments on Gwyneth Paltrow's recent cooking video. (Image via Reddit)

Many people joined the conversation and shared similar reactions on the social networking site X.

“Gwyneth isn’t throwing shade. She’s been doing the same thing for a while now. There’s no reason to even engage in any sort of social media shade game. Meghan is so inconsequential she isn’t even competition for Goop. Why would Gwyneth care?” a person asked.

“Gwyneth has always done videos like this and gone makeup free. It's not shade towards Meg, it's just that Meg cosplays Gwyneth & the comparisons have been drawn. Meghan has always wanted to be a combined Goop/ Oprah. Here is a post from July & November last year,” one person wrote.

“I think it’s a nod to her, not shade,” wrote another.

Others continued to weigh in.

“Meghan watching this wondering if it’s about her,” a netizen wrote.

“#MeghanMarkle gets schooled in the most elegant way by @GwynethPaltrow who in less than 1 minute destroys her Netflix fake show! No make up, no 80 crew, no special lighting, no ridiculous clothing. Heck! She doesn't even say a word. with love, Gwyneth!” another netizen wrote.

“Love her or hate her, Gwyneth Paltrow is authentically, unapologetically Gwyneth, unlike that Meghan Markle. In one video, she makes the artifice of Me-gain look downright silly and shows why she owns the space. Off to find Cappellos...Ta!” a user wrote.

While Meghan Markle hasn’t responded to the video directly, a few hours later on Sunday, she too posted a video from her own kitchen wearing PJs where her friend appeared to be cooking. It had the text, "When one of the besties reinvents a banana split for breakfast," and "Happy Sunday, friends" written on it.

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Gwyneth Paltrow previously addressed Meghan Markle’s new show

In early March, Gwyneth Paltrow appeared for a Vanity Fair April 2025 cover story. She was asked to share her views about Meghan Markle’s latest lifestyle show, With Love Meghan.

At the time, the Iron Man star mentioned not having seen the trailer for the series. However, she added:

“Everybody deserves an attempt at everything that they want to try. I was raised to see other women as friends, not foes. I think there’s always more than enough to go around,” she stated.

She also recalled how her mother Blythe Danner used to tell her that another woman could never be her “competition” and “what is right for you will find you.”

The Academy Award winner also shared possessing a “strong instinct to stand up for” Meghan Markle if she needed, adding she has always done so when there’s “noise about certain women in the culture.”

The Shallow Hal star added while she has met Meghan Markle in the past who seemed “really lovely,” she doesn’t “know her at all.”

Gwyneth Paltrow is the founder and owner of wellness and lifestyle brand, Goop, formed in 2008. With Love Meghan, which dropped on Netflix on March 4, 2025, previously drew comparison to Goop alongside Pamela Anderson’s plant-based cooking show, Pamela’s Cooking With Love, released earlier this year.

Last week, Gwyneth Paltrow’s longtime friend and Goop Kitchen host Tracy Anderson faced criticism after she shared an Instagram video where she said, “Welcome to my actual kitchen.”

However, netizens were left unimpressed as they deemed it as a dig at Meghan Markle’s rented kitchen in her Netflix show. Later, Tracy clarified she meant she wasn’t filming from Goop Kitchen but rather her own.