“It’s real? Not Parody?”- Meghan Markle’s new show faces backlash, fans criticize the unnecessary single-use plastic

Meghan Markle's new lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, finally debuted on Netflix on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, after being postponed for several weeks due to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. All eight episodes of the show arrived on Tuesday, giving a glimpse of how the former actress and wife of Prince Harry cooks, gardens, hosts, and even harvests honey in Montecito, where they now live full-time.

Netflix described the series as a show in which "Meghan shares personal tips and tricks," and she and and her guests "roll up their sleeves in the kitchen, the garden, and beyond." However, as promising as the premise is, some netizens took offense over Meghan Markle's use of single-use plastic.

In the first episode of the series, she sets up a welcome tray for her friend, Daniel, where she makes popcorn and puts it in a plastic bag as a treat. She also takes pretzels out of one plastic bag and puts it in another one before putting a label on it.

After seeing the video, netizens were quick to react, with one seemingly unable to believe that the clip wasn't a parody.

"I've gotta ask.... Was this really part of the show @Netflix? It's real? Not parody? I'm having a hard time believing this is real. Everybody knows this so I can't believe it's real and serious for a show, is it?????," a user on X commented.

More social media users commented on Meghan Markle's use of single-use plastic. She could have left it on the original bag, someone said, with another one calling her insufferable.

"Markle saving the planet one plastic bag at a time, so much single use plastic when there is no need," an X user said.

"For someone whose husband preaches about environment, she is OBSESSED with single use plastic. Just leave the pretzels in the original bag. It's better for the environment," another X user commented.

"Behold: Eco Warrior Meghan Markle taking pretzels out of one single use plastic bag to put them in another single use plastic bag! And she wonders why the plebians don't worship her as she things the[y] ought to. Insufferable," an X user added.

Other commenters were more forgiving but still inquired about her and Prince Harry's apparent support for the environment. A netizen asked if the Duchess of Sussex didn't have jars and containers she could have used instead, while another one hoped she was using "biodegradable" plastics.

"I thought they were supposed to be environmentalists??? Less Co2 and all that. Doesn't she have jars & containers like the rest of us to decant food from plastic?," a user on X commented.

"Hope those bags are biodegradable. After all, she and her husband were always lecturing us on caring for the planet," another X user said.

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Meghan Markle's Netflix lifestyle show is now live

There are eight episodes of Meghan Markle's With Love, Meghan, and all of them can now be watched on Netflix with a subscription. The lifestyle-slash-cooking series sees the Duchess of Sussex invite some of her friends to an estate in Montecito, where her family with Prince Harry now resides, to do all sorts of things from cooking and gardening to hosting.

In each episode, she brings out a friend or a guest as she shares her personal tips and tricks or learns new skills from acclaimed chefs and more. She made truffle popcorn in the microwave, harvested honey from her bee farm, baked a lemon cake with raspberry, made candles, and many more. Among her guests in the series are Mindy Kaling, Alice Waters, and Roy Choi.

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Catch Meghan Markle's With Love, Meghan, now streaming on Netflix.