Netflix Cuts Ties With Meghan Markle’s Lifestyle Brand As Ever

Netflix has officially pulled the plug on its business partnership with Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand As Ever, ending an 11-month collaboration that launched with her cooking series With Love, Meghan. The Duchess of Sussex will now take her line of jams, teas, and $64 candles fully independent.

The split, confirmed by both parties on March 6, comes just months after the streaming platform declined to renew With Love, Meghan for a third season. Netflix invested in the consumer products division of As Ever ahead of its launch last April, helping develop collections that sold out within an hour. Now that the pipeline goes silent.

Netflix framed the breakup as intentional from the start. “Meghan’s passion for elevating everyday moments in beautiful yet simple ways inspired the creation of the As Ever brand, and we are glad to have played a role in bringing that vision to life,” a spokesperson told multiple outlets. “As it was always intended, Meghan will continue growing the brand and take it into its next chapter independently”.

The As Ever team echoed that messaging. “We have experienced meaningful and rapid growth and As Ever is now ready to stand on its own,” a brand representative said. “We have an exciting year ahead and can’t wait to share more”.

Behind the polished statements, industry observers note the timing raises questions. The split follows the quiet death of Markle’s Netflix show, which ran 16 episodes plus a holiday special before getting shelved. An industry source told Page Six the partnership “lost its purpose once the programme stopped progressing”.

The Sussexes first signed with Netflix in 2020 after stepping back from royal duties, reportedly inking a deal worth over $100 million. Their 2022 documentary Harry & Meghan became one of the streamer’s most-watched documentary debuts. Later projects Polo, Heart of Invictus, drew less attention.

Last August, the couple renegotiated. The massive overall deal became a smaller first-look arrangement, giving Netflix the right of first refusal on Archewell Productions projects rather than guaranteed distribution. The As Ever partnership was part of that “extended” agreement, with Markle announcing at the time: “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand”.

Now that expansion is over.

While As Ever goes solo, Archewell Productions continues its relationship with Netflix, at least on paper. Two film adaptations remain in development limbo. Meet Me at the Lake, based on Carley Fortune’s bestselling novel, was announced in 2023 with Netflix paying roughly $3 million for rights. Three years later, it still lacks a director or cast. An adaptation of Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date, announced last September, sits classified as “in development” with no updates.

Insiders’ express skepticism. “Three years in development for a movie like this at Netflix isn’t good,” one source told Page Six. Another warned: “I don’t know how long this new deal is for, but if they don’t have anything to show soon, I can’t imagine it will be renewed”.

Archewell sources maintain projects are moving through a “normal creative process”.

For As Ever, the Netflix partnership provided a launchpad few startups could dream of. The brand’s first product drop, honey, flower sprinkles, and fruit preserves, sold out in under an hour. The line expanded to include $64 scented candles, tea, wine, and bookmarks. Markle’s show gave her a weekly platform to demonstrate the products in action, blending content and commerce in classic influencer fashion.

Now she builds alone. A source told The Sun the team is focused on “establishing the brand and scaling it” in 2026. Markle herself acknowledged the learning curve last year: “I appreciate everyone who gave me the grace to make mistakes and figure it out and also to be forgiving with myself through that”.

The question now is whether As Ever can survive without Netflix’s distribution machine. The products exist. The audience exists. But the algorithmic push that comes with a streaming partnership? That’s gone.

Markle will continue producing “bite-sized” cooking and crafting content for her social channels. Holiday specials could still appear on Netflix down the line. And the door remains open for future collaborations. But for now, the Sussexes’ streaming empire has shrunk by one very expensive candle.