Meghan Markle’s As Ever Notebook Promo Wink Has Critics Livid
Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., has been arrested in Florida. The 82-year-old, who has been in the news for weeks over allegations that he possessed child abuse material, was taken into custody Friday and charged with one count of possession of child pornography, according to the Justice Department. He previously denied the allegations, calling them “sick lies.” While that has been unfolding, Meghan has been trying to keep things moving, business as usual. That isn’t sitting right with some critics, though. After a playful video for her $98 As Ever journal went viral, critics ripped into her for winking while a serious family matter unfolds.
Meghan Markle is selling a $98 notebook
Meghan Markle is looking to sell a journal that costs nearly $100. The price tag isn’t what has everyone up in arms, though. It’s the ad. In the clip, set to a jazz piano track, Meghan flashes a coy smile and gazes into the distance before writing in the As Ever notebook. She then holds it up to show off the phrase on the cover. In one close-up, she rests the notebook under her chin and gives the camera a wink before raising the journal to hide her face as the clip ends.
Observers also noted her jewelry: a Logan Hollowell gold-and-diamond Aura ring sleeve, which reportedly retails for $2,875. While Markle’s team was likely aiming for breezy and mysterious, the clip struck many critics as a bit too unfazed.
Critics are calling Meghan ‘shameless’
Critics on X were quick to tear the ad spot apart, and most of the backlash focused on the timing. One user asked what “gave her the idea THAT was a good idea,” while another called her “shameless” for posting “at such a time.” Others said Meghan “is always inappropriate.”
A separate clip from As Ever’s holiday advertising, which also features the notebook, drew similarly pointed comments. Meghan’s representatives have not commented on the criticism.
While the promo was likely planned months in advance, the timing is a serious concern for some who follow the royals and all that is going on with the Markle family. The timing looks even worse now, with Thomas Markle Sr.’s arrest.
Meghan addressed the situation regarding her father in a statement shortly after the story broke, saying she had been shown a letter in 2018 that “made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.” She added that her “sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served.” She has been estranged from him for years, and he has never met her two children.
