Enjoying a slice of pie in Gwyneth Paltrow’s charming kitchen was a significant moment for Meghan Markle, who was invited into the lifestyle guru’s inner circle to demonstrate harmony between the Montecito neighbors.
However, despite fans seeing the shared video on the Goop founder’s Instagram as a resolution to their supposed ‘breakfast war,’ the actual winner in this scenario is Gwyneth, cleverly veiled as a display of sisterly kindness.
The meeting followed shortly after the 52-year-old Academy Award winner posted a video of herself preparing breakfast in pajamas while playing the theme song of Meghan’s Netflix show, a move perceived as a slight towards the Duchess.
And while their get together may seem designed to put that idea to bed, it was in fact a perfect opportunity for Gwyneth to show who’s boss, and demonstrate exactly how A-list ‘influencing’ should be done.Â
After all, she’s had plenty of practice at dealing elegantly with rivals during her long-running feud with the original lifestyle influencer Martha Stewart.Â
Not to mention this is the woman who delivered the ‘most gracious ‘f*** you’ in US legal history’ when she famously told retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, ‘I wish you well’ as she exited court after beating his ski crash lawsuit against her in 2023.Â
Speaking to FEMAIL, PR expert Chad Teixeira remarked that Gwyneth ‘has always played the influencer game with a kind of elegant mischief’ – and that her latest stunt shows Meghan exactly how it should be done.Â
‘She knows exactly how to stir conversation without ever getting her hands messy,’ he explained. ‘That shared Instagram Story with Meghan is a perfect example. It’s just ambiguous enough to get everyone talking: is it shade? Is it support? Is it both? Classic Gwyneth.
The Goop founder appeared to strike a subtle but victorious blow as she joined her Montecito neighbour at a breakfast table in a joint video to seemingly squash rumours of a feud
But appearing to tread the line between competitive, the Goop Lab aficionado showed Meghan how it’s done, as she demonstrated what it means to be the real boss of the ‘celebfluencer’ world
‘She’s perfected the art of being in the mix without looking like she’s trying too hard.’
Chad also referenced Gwyneth’s 2022 Goop Christmas ad – which saw the star poking fun at her own comparisons to OG lifestyle icon Martha Stewart.
‘Gwyneth, Martha Stewart’s on the line. It sounds urgent,’ the celeb is told in the promotional clip.
‘Guys, I gotta take this,’ she winces in reply – ending the cheeky homage.
One year prior, she had even admitted to trolling Martha with a ‘Jailbird Cake’ recipe.
‘From her Goop nod to Martha to her strategic silence on certain topics, she keeps things mysterious, which is incredibly powerful in today’s oversharing world,’ Chad continued.
Just a few days earlier, the 52-year-old Oscar winner had posted a clip of herself making food a la ‘With Love, Meghan’ while blasting the song used in adverts for the show, This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
‘Meghan, on the other hand, is still finding her rhythm in that space. There’s definitely something to be said for taking a page out of Gwyneth’s book, less explanation, more effortless elevation. If Meghan leaned into that softer, slightly removed style of storytelling, she might find more space to build her brand without so much noise.’
By walking the tightrope with Meghan, Gwyneth also maintains her Montecito connections in harmony – as the Duchess is known to be close with the Goop boss’s pal Cameron Diaz.
Meghan and Harry have been spotted dining with the Charlie’s Angels star, xx, along with her hubby Benji Madden – and even flew out to Katy Perry concert with the A-lister couple.
Gwyneth and her husband, TV producer Brad Falchuk, have also joined both couples to dine.
The actress turned wellness guru, who founded her wellness company in 2008, has defended the duchess setting up a lifestyle brand, saying ‘everybody deserves an attempt at everything that they want to try’.
Gwyneth, who lives near where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to after giving up their royal duties in 2020, previously told Vanity Fair that she had ‘met Meghan, who seems really lovely, but I don’t know her at all’.
‘I was raised to see other women as friends, not foes,’ Gwyneth added. ‘I think there’s always more than enough to go around. Everybody deserves an attempt at everything that they want to try.’
Meghan has recently launched the lifestyle brand As Ever in tandem with her TV show which was met with savage reviews from critics but still did well for Netflix, reaching the streaming giant’s top 10 programmes globally.
Meghan has recently launched the lifestyle brand As Ever in tandem with her TV show which was met with savage reviews from critics but still did well for Netflix , reaching the streaming giant’s top 10 programmes globally
A trailer for her new Lemonada Media podcast Confessions Of A Female Founder was released yesterday, with Meghan promising ‘girl talk’ and advice on how to create ‘billion-dollar businesses’. It launches next Tuesday.
But last week, Gwyneth and fitness guru Tracy Anderson were accused of mocking Meghan during an ad for the actress’s Goop brand.
Tracy – who founded the celeb-loved, self-titled Tracy Anderson Method – appeared to mock The Duchess as she introduced the new Tracy’s Green Goddess Crunch Salad in partnership with Goop Kitchen, Paltrow’s new delivery-only dining empire.
Tracy looked to have taken up a new hobby in the kitchen as she explained how to make her new salad in a video that was posted to both her and Goop’s Instagram pages.
She opened the clip by telling viewers, ‘Hi, I’m Tracy Anderson, and welcome to my actual kitchen,’ pausing for dramatic affect.
Many viewers thought thought that was a dig at the Duchess, who filmed her highly panned new Netflix show With Love, Meghan in a different home rather than her own.
Tracy continued to show viewers exactly how they can create the salad during the video, which included kale, watermelon radish, carrots and cabbage.
Meghan’s show, which premiered earlier this month, sees her hosting a variety of famous friends like comedian Mindy Kaling in the kitchen as they make meals together and create home décor, like beeswax candles.
It’s not the first time Gwyneth has been compared to another lifestyle ‘influencer’ – and much like Meghan, has faced her own accusations of trying to ‘be’ a Martha Stewart type. Both pictured in 2011
Chad also referenced Gwyneth’s 2022 Goop Christmas ad – which saw the star poking fun at her own comparisons to OG lifestyle icon Martha Stewart
By walking the tightrope with Meghan, Gwyneth also maintains her Montecito connections in harmony – as the Duchess is known to be close with the Goop boss’s pal Cameron DiazÂ
Meghan notably did not film the Netflix series at her own Montecito residence – but instead shot the episodes at an $8 million farmhouse in the same area
Fans of the series flocked to Tracy’s comments on the Instagram video to call her out for what they thought was some shade thrown at The Duchess.
‘Hmm Mean Girls is sooooo 2004! Maybe reflect on your comment before you say next time,’ one person wrote.
Another agreed, ‘Shocking a woman cutting another woman down with a little passive aggressive snark. Do better.’
‘This was an unnecessary dig. You can’t tell us you didn’t know EXACTLY what you were doing. Tell me you’re not a girl’s girl without telling me you’re not a girl’s girl,’ someone else typed.
A different user shared, ‘It’s 2025, babe. We’re not mean-girling and screwing over other women while we continue to fight for our rights and protections.’
Others, however ran to Tracy’s defense, claiming that they had heard her use the term in her previous videos.
After posting the video, Tracy herself tried to make amends as she awkwardly defended herself in the comments section.
‘Absolutely no shade intended! I mentioned cooking in my own kitchen simply to show that I’m at home, rather than in the professional goop kitchen. Always sending love and togetherness to all women,’ she wrote in a message, which was followed by three red heart emojis.
Last week, Gwyneth and fitness guru Tracy Anderson (pictured in May) were accused of mocking Meghan during an ad for the actress’s Goop brand
Gwyneth recently admitted that she hadn’t seen the Duchess’s new show, but said she is not feeling any competition between the two; seen in February in L.A.Â
A source close to the situation said to DailyMail.com that Anderson was not trying to bash Meghan.
They reiterated that she was simply explaining that she was filming in her own kitchen due to the Goop collaboration, and her goal has always been to support women.
DailyMail.com reached out to both Anderson and Markle for comment at the time.
Tracy’s supposed shade came just one day after Goop owner Paltrow gave her true opinion on Meghan to Vanity Fair.
Interestingly enough, both live quite close to each other in the small area of Montecito.
‘I don’t know Meghan and Harry,’ Gwyneth divulged to the magazine.
‘I mean, I’ve met Meghan, who seems really lovely, but I don’t know her at all,’ she continued. ‘Maybe I’ll try to get through their security detail and bring them a pie.’
The actress admitted that she hadn’t seen the duchess’ new show, but said she is not feeling any competition between the two.
She told the outlet: ‘When there’s noise about certain women in the culture, I do have, always, a strong instinct to stand up for them.’
The mother-of-two added that she embraces bringing Meghan, and others, into the wellness and lifestyle space.
‘I was raised to see other women as friends, not foes,’ she continued.
‘I think there’s always more than enough to go around. Everybody deserves an attempt at everything that they want to try.’
