In the glittering but increasingly tarnished world of celebrity media empires, few stories scream hubris quite like Meghan Markle’s disastrous Netflix saga. The Duchess of Sussex once touted her deal with the streaming giant as a “lifelong partnership,” a bold declaration of creative freedom and mutual success after her explosive exit from royal life. She positioned herself as a visionary content creator, ready to bring authenticity, lifestyle inspiration, and heartfelt storytelling to millions. Yet, reality has delivered a brutal verdict: *With Love, Meghan*, her much-hyped lifestyle and cooking series, has been unceremoniously dumped – no third season, no renewal in sight, and only vague whispers of possible future holiday specials that insiders dismiss as “nothing in the works.” This isn’t just a cancellation; it’s a humiliating indictment of overpromising, underdelivering, and turning what could have been a platform into one of Netflix’s most notorious flops.
The saga began with fanfare. Meghan and Prince Harry secured a multi-year, multi-million-dollar Netflix deal in 2020, fresh off their dramatic Megxit. Meghan wasted no time hyping it up, framing the partnership as something enduring and profound – a lifelong collaboration where she could finally tell “her truth” and showcase her passions without institutional constraints. Fast-forward to 2025: *With Love, Meghan* premiered in March as her flagship solo project, an eight-episode lifestyle show promising warmth, creativity, and everyday elegance from the Montecito mansion. Season 2 followed in August, with a holiday special tacked on in December for good measure. Meghan promoted it relentlessly, positioning the series as an extension of her “As Ever” brand – think curated crafts, thoughtful hosting tips, and that signature polished glow.
But the emperor had no clothes. Critics savaged the show from day one. Rotten Tomatoes slapped it with a dismal 23% critic score, while audience ratings hovered in the toilet – IMDb user scores as low as 2.7 out of 10 in places. Reviewers called it “lifeless,” “boring,” “vapid,” and “utterly deranged” – a parade of superficial platitudes about joy and hospitality delivered with zero spark. One critic likened it to “a fantastical monument to the captivating power of watching one woman decorate a cake with her makeup artist while communicating solely through throw-pillow adages.” Another branded it “out of touch,” “snobbish,” and an accidental comedy of entitlement. The cringe factor was off the charts: Meghan’s attempts at relatability fell flat against the backdrop of her ultra-privileged life, turning what might have been charming into something insufferably smug.
Viewership told an even harsher story. Season 1 barely squeaked into Netflix’s global Top 10 with 2.6 million views in its debut week – respectable for a niche lifestyle show, perhaps, but underwhelming given the massive promotional push and Meghan’s built-in fame. Season 2? It didn’t even crack the Top 10 anywhere – not in the US, not in the UK, nowhere. Netflix’s own data painted a grim picture: In the first half of 2025, *With Love, Meghan* ranked a pathetic No. 383 globally among all productions, with just 5.3 million views total. That’s lower than reruns of Meghan’s old show *Suits*, which had been off the air for years. Viewership reportedly dropped at least 20% from Season 1 to Season 2, a clear sign audiences tuned out in droves. For a streamer that thrives on hits, this was a money pit – heavily promoted, expensively produced, and spectacularly ignored.
And now, the axe has fallen. Multiple sources, including Page Six and major outlets like The Sun, The Mirror, and others, confirm: No third season. “It’s not returning as a series,” one insider bluntly stated. “There have been conversations about holiday specials, but there’s nothing in the works yet.” Meghan herself reportedly called the project “a lot of work” – perhaps the understatement of the year, given how little it resonated. Netflix, ever the pragmatist, has shifted focus elsewhere, leaving the Sussexes’ once-vaunted “lifelong partnership” looking more like a short, expensive fling.
This failure isn’t random; it’s the culmination of Meghan’s pattern of grandiosity meeting grim reality. She entered Netflix bragging about creative control and lasting impact, yet delivered a product so mediocre it couldn’t hold an audience for more than a fleeting glance. The show wasn’t just forgettable – it was actively mocked, memed into oblivion, and dismissed as the vanity project it appeared to be. While diehard fans clung to it, the broader public saw through the veneer: a former actress leveraging royal adjacency for content that lacked substance, authenticity, or entertainment value.
The irony is thick. Meghan positioned herself as a disruptor, a modern royal breaking free to build something meaningful. Instead, she gave Netflix one of its worst-performing originals in recent memory – a show that embarrassed the platform, wasted resources, and reinforced every negative stereotype her critics hurled. Her “lifelong partnership” lasted barely long enough for two lackluster seasons and a holiday afterthought. What remains is a cautionary tale: Bragging about lifelong deals means nothing when the product flops this hard.
As Meghan pivots to bite-sized social media posts for her brand, one can’t help but wonder – was the hype ever matched by talent? Or was it all smoke and mirrors from the start? Netflix has moved on, the public has forgotten, and *With Love, Meghan* joins the graveyard of overhyped celebrity ventures. A historic brag, followed by historic failure. How fitting.
