Meghan Markle was all set to reinvent herself as a lifestyle influencer this week with the premiere of Netflix's "With Love, Meghan" . . . but the devastating Southern California wildfires have put a pause on that re-launch.
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00:00Meghan Markle was all set to reinvent herself as a lifestyle influencer this week with the
00:05premiere of Netflix's With Love, Meghan. But the devastating Southern California wildfires
00:10have put a pause on that relaunch. Meghan announced on January 12th that the eight-part
00:14series meant to premiere on the 15th would be pushed all the way back to March 4th. An
00:18industry insider told People magazine that it was likely an easy decision for the Los Angeles
00:23native, adding,
00:24"...I don't think she could imagine putting out a show centered on joy and hosting when
00:27so many people in her home state no longer have homes to host people in."
00:32Meghan's move might seem hard to fault,
00:34but some online see it as just more career calculus. The same source added,
00:39"...I think it's sad that critics are saying she's only doing this to avoid the fires
00:42overshadowing her show. We're all human and we're dealing with a catastrophe."
00:46On January 10th, Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, volunteered in Pasadena,
00:50handing out supplies at an evacuation center. Mayor Victor Gordo said the pair were a welcome
00:55presence.
00:57"...They didn't come out here for publicity. They came out here to work."
01:02One surprising Harry and Meghan hater following their Pasadena appearance?
01:06Family Ties star Justine Bateman, who posted on X that the couple is no better than
01:11ambulance chasers, adding,
01:13"...What a repulsive photo-op they achieved. They are touring the damage.
01:16Are they politicians now? They don't live here. They are tourists. Disaster tourists."
01:21Meghan faced similar criticism back in 2022 when she visited Uvalde, Texas,
01:26in the wake of the deadly school shooting there, with critics, including her own half-brother,
01:30calling the move a blatant PR stunt.
01:33"...It's the most insensitive, inconsiderable thing I've ever seen in my life."
01:38With Love, Meghan was filmed 90 minutes north of L.A., but not at Harry and Meghan's actual
01:43Montecito mansion, but rather at a rental property just down the road. An insider told
01:47The Daily Beast that the duke and duchess have opened their expansive home to friends
01:51who were forced to evacuate, and have donated clothing and essential supplies.
01:55The aspirational series, billed as a heartfelt tribute to the beauty of Southern California,
01:59is the latest project in the couple's multi-year $100 million deal with Netflix. The tell-all
02:04docu-series Harry and Meghan was a hit, but Heart of Invictus and Polo weren't nearly as
02:09well-received, so expectations are high for With Love, Meghan. But royal author Phil Dampier says
02:15the damage may already have been done, telling the Daily Mail,
02:18Some critics had already panned With Love, Meghan,
02:21and now it just looks totally out of place. She had a lot riding on it,
02:24and had been planning for months, if not a couple of years, so it's very unfortunate for her.
02:29"...We're not in the pursuit of perfection."
02:33"...Woke us all up."
02:34The trailer for the series features Meghan donning a full beekeeper's outfit,
02:37putting edible flowers in ice cubes, serving cake to her famous friends, and more.
02:43"...What? This is probably one of the most glamorous moments of my life."
02:47With at least 24 people killed and more than 1,400 homes destroyed by the wildfires,
02:52the timing couldn't be worse for Meghan to release her happy homemaking show,
02:56especially considering that her brand was already considered box office poison,
03:00according to marketing expert Tony Case. Case told the Daily Beast,
03:03From a brand perspective, I'm not really sure anything can be done at this point to reverse
03:07consumers' obvious apathy toward the Sussexes. They set out to conquer America, but nobody here,
03:12it turned out, found them or what they're peddling to be particularly compelling.