Martha Stewart is publicly saying polite things about Meghan Markle‘s latest lifestyle company. But sources exclusively tell In Touch the cookbook author is no fan of Prince Harry‘s wife — and can’t wait to celebrate the Duchess of Sussex’s downfall.
Meghan, 42, recently unveiled her new personal brand American Riviera Orchard, and sources say the former Suits actress plans to sell crockery, serving ware, table linens and dog food to coincide with a cooking show.
“Martha has seen hundreds of Meghan types come and go — and says they all come in with the same self-inflated hype, only to find out it’s a whole new ball game when it comes down to brass tacks,” says an insider. “She’s tired of being quizzed by people over how she feels about Meghan’s venture because, honestly, it’s irritating and insulting to her that she’s being compared to a rookie!”
This isn’t the first time Stewart has come up against a competitor — the homemaking queen has taken swipes at Goop guru Gwyneth Paltrow. Stewart, 82, accused the Oscar winner, 51, of trying to mimic her and said, “She just needs to be quiet. She’s a movie star. If she were confident in her acting, she wouldn’t be trying to be Martha Stewart!”
According to the insider, Meghan should be prepared now that she’s stepping on Stewart’s turf. “Martha spent decades building her brand from a foundation of raw talent, hands-on hard work and an original vision. If Meghan thinks she can come along and replicate that with barely any experience simply because she’s married to a prince, she better think again,” the source says. “Martha doesn’t put a whole lot of faith in her succeeding. But if she does prove to be any competition, Martha won’t hold back in trying to take her down. She’s still just as competitive as she’s ever been!”
The insider adds Stewart’s past judgmental jabs haven’t been limited to Paltrow as she’s been equally catty about TV chef Rachael Ray and talk show host Kelly Clarkson. “She plays nice for the cameras — but behind the scenes she’s vicious,” says the source.
However, insiders insist the threat of earning Stewart’s wrath isn’t likely to derail the dreams of Meghan, who sees her latest venture as her make-or-break chance to finally prove herself in Hollywood. But her project has apparently hit a speed bump. Meghan missed a self-declared April 7 public announcement about her brand — and critics are wondering if troubles in the royal family have prevented the launch.
“That would be a total disaster! She’s poured so much money and time into this. Her whole brand and reputation are on the line,” the insider says.
Sources say Meghan and Harry left their palace duties and moved to Montecito with hopes of becoming power players, but they haven’t made the splash — or the cash — they were counting on.
Their podcast deal with Spotify came to a halt, and they were branded “lazy” by an exec at the company. And now sources say the couple’s reported $100 million deal with Netflix may not be renewed because they’ve worn out their welcome.
“Meghan is under a massive amount of pressure to make this work. She and Harry have overspent and are living this lavish lifestyle beyond their means,” the insider shares. “If they don’t turn this around, they could end up in the poorhouse. Martha can be as nasty as she likes. Meghan will just keep plowing ahead — she’s got no choice!”
