Fresh off a trip to Colombia for a little coffee and cheese bread at Vice-President Francia Márquez’s house, Meghan Markle and her coveted jam jars are back in the tabloids. It’s been nearly six months since we first got wind of the Duchess of Sussex’s next venture — the mysterious lifestyle brand (and phonetic mouthful) American Riviera Orchard. But aside from a few special deliveries to buddies Kris Jenner, Chrissy Teigen, and Mindy Kaling, it’s been crickets on the jam front ever since. Naturally, the usual rotation of sketchy sources have their theories about the delayed brand launch, but Markle also seems to be going on the defensive by announcing even more lifestyle investments in the New York Times, including baskets. Riveting stuff!
First up: the rumors. On Wednesday, the New York Post ran with a report from U.K. gossip outlet Closer claiming Markle was struggling to get American Riviera Orchard up and running. One source alleged that 18 staffers had already quit the startup and that the 43-year-old founder was having a hard time pinning down a CEO to bring her vision to life, though there are no other verified reports of such an exodus. A separate Wednesday report in People, however, insisted Markle was having no such difficulty finding a CEO and that the launch is simply slated for later this year, as planned.
Meanwhile, royal expert Tom Quinn told the Mirror in a since-deleted, but widely cited, article that Markle “was in tears when the brand launched and her new jam was widely mocked for being expensive and nothing special … she cannot understand why people don’t admire her work.” While these reports are dubious and flimsy at best, they do, if anything, nod to the incessant gawking around the duchess’s promised business affairs. The Cut has requested comment from Markle’s representatives on all of the conflicting reports.
But Meghan Markle doesn’t just sit around while tabloids ravage her beloved collection of drinkware, marmalades, and cookbooks. Instead, she gives an interview to the Gray Lady, also on Wednesday, announcing that she has acquired a minority stake in Cesta Collective, a brand that sells basket bags handwoven by a collective of Rwandan women. She has also added Clevr Blends, “a vegan instant latte company,” to her investment portfolio of women-led companies. “Investing in them has helped me line up for this chapter where I’m investing in myself,” Markle said.
Markle added that she would define her venture-capital style as “dolphin tank,” not Shark Tank. “These are friendly waters,” she said. Well, best of luck to our one and only dolphin investor! Can’t wait to see what she scoops up next.
