Meghan Markle Surprises Podcaster with Personal Note After Being Criticized for Lack of Authenticity

Meghan Markle recently took podcaster Amanda Hirsch by surprise after Hirsch expressed worry about her show, “With Love, Meghan.”

The Duchess of Sussex surprised many by sending Hirsch a personal handwritten message, a move that has stirred up excitement among her followers and sparked rumors of a potential guest appearance on the podcast.

Despite facing criticism and being the target of ridicule, Meghan Markle’s show has been greenlit for a second season by Netflix. The CEO of the streaming service has come forward to support the show and commend Markle for her positive influence on culture.

Meghan reportedly sent a handwritten note to podcaster Hirsch following her scathing criticism that the duchess’s Netflix series lacked authenticity.

Back in January, Hirsch, the host of the popular podcast “notskinnybutnotfat,” had shared her concerns in a video reaction to the show’s teaser trailer. In her commentary, she expressed apprehension that the series could further amplify allegations of Meghan’s lack of authenticity.

Commenting on a baking scene, Hirsch said: “I’m genuinely concerned for Meghan. I am not a Meghan hater at all; it feels like a Blake Lively situation where people just piled on this woman,”

Repeatedly lowering her head and grimacing, Hirsch continued: “I haven’t formed an opinion; I don’t hate her as a lot of the world does. I understand that some people are like, ‘She’s inauthentic’ – I get it.”

The podcaster further expressed fear that the Netflix show might only fuel and magnify those claims, saying: “From the trailer, it looks like it might be kind of trying to be a Martha Stewart situation that feels a little forced.”

“The trailer at least doesn’t seem like she’s going to come across relatable, which I feel like she’ll want to try to be. I’m scared for herm,” she continued, per the Daily Mail.

Addressing Meghan directly, Hirsch stated, “Meghan, why did you have to go and do that? Consult with me, I would have told you.”

Hirsch was stunned to receive a beautifully designed card featuring Meghan’s distinctive logo.

The note read, “Dear Amanda, I heard you were feeling scared. Don’t be. This is the fun part—let’s enjoy it,” and ended with the signature “as ever, Meghan,” a nod to the royal’s new lifestyle brand.

The duchess’s elegant handwriting excited Hirsch’s 893,000 followers, with many praising the card’s “beautiful” style.

Hirsch declared she’d frame the note, saying, “Obviously framing this. Beyond shook. Beyond spiraling. Did I smell the paper? Yes. Do I want my own monogram? Yes. Am I absolutely flabbergasted and obsessed? F-ck yes. Meghan, you have a fan for life.”

Fans also speculated that Meghan might be angling to appear as a guest on the podcast, with many saying the gesture made them “like her even more.”

“I hated the show, but I genuinely like her. This makes me like her even more,” one person wrote.

“That handwriting is rich,” another said, while a third added: “I find myself Team Meghan suddenly.”

Meghan’s handwritten note is widely seen as part of a broader effort to push back against criticism of “With Love, Meghan,” which, despite receiving negative reviews, has been renewed for a second season.

The Duchess of Sussex announced the news via social media on her Instagram Stories: “I’m thrilled to share that season 2 of With Love, Meghan is coming!”

The first season of “With Love, Meghan,” which premiered on Tuesday, featured eight 33-minute episodes in which Meghan, alongside various guests, shared lifestyle advice from a luxurious $8 million (£5 million) rental home near Montecito.

Netflix’s CEO Ted Sarandos recently defended the duchess, stating that she has been “underestimated.”

In an interview with Variety, Sarandos discussed the future of Netflix and its ongoing partnership with the Sussexes following their $100 million deal with the streaming giant in 2020.

“I think Meghan is underestimated in terms of her influence on culture,” Sarandos said.

He continued, “When we dropped the trailer for the Harry & Meghan doc series [in 2022], everything on-screen was dissected in the press for days. The shoes she was wearing sold out all over the world. The Hermès blanket that was on the chair behind her sold out everywhere in the world.”

While speaking with the publication about the Sussexes, Sarandos stated, “People are fascinated with Meghan Markle. She and Harry are overly dismissed.”

Netflix has also taken an interest in the duchess’s new lifestyle brand, As Ever, which will mark its entry into e-commerce.

The brand is set to launch a range of teas, jams, and other products in the U.S. this spring.

“We’re a passive partner in Meghan’s company, and it’s a big discovery model for us right now,” Sarandos added.