Netflix boss Ted Sarandos said Meghan Markle is “underestimated in terms of her influence on culture” in the aftermath of her latest roast on The Tonight Show.
Sarandos this year marks 25 years at the streaming giant and did an interview with Variety in which he sought to justify the money the company invested in the .
Why It Matters
His comments came after her cooking show With Love, Meghan earned a tidal wave of bad reviews from U.S. media, pop culture commentators and influencers outside the usual pro-monarchy bubble.
Most recently, Meghan was mocked by Jimmy Fallon for a moment in With Love in which she took Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Pretzel Nuggets out of their original packaging and put them into a personalized bag, which she labeled.
Jake Rosenberg/Netflix
What Ted Sarandos Said About Meghan
The co-chief executive was asked by Variety about the company having a stake in Meghan’s online shop, As Ever.
“We’re a passive partner in Meghan’s company,” he replied, “and it’s a big discovery model for us right now.”
“I think Meghan is underestimated in terms of her influence on culture,” he continued. “When we dropped the trailer for the Harry & Meghan doc series [in 2022], everything on-screen was dissected in the press for days.
“The shoes she was wearing sold out all over the world. The Hermès blanket that was on the chair behind her sold out everywhere in the world. People are fascinated with Meghan Markle. She and Harry are overly dismissed.”
What Jimmy Fallon Said About Meghan
Sarandos’ comments came within hours of Meghan adding a roast on The Tonight Show to the list of mocking responses to With Love.
Fallon did a trivia segment in which Steve Higgins asked him a series of questions, saying: “Ready? You’re going to get this. What is the number one question that mystifies scientists? Number one question.”
“Is there life on another planet?” Fallon replied. “Ooh, no,” Higgins said. “Why does Meghan Markle make her own pretzel bags? They don’t know why.”
Fallon laughed and said: “That’s interesting. She takes it from one bag and puts it in another bag, and that confuses people.”
What Happens Next
Meghan is poised to launch her new podcast on Lemonada Media, Confessions of a Female Founder, on April 8.
It could offer her a chance to move on from the bad reviews of With Love or could prolong a moment of disconnect with the American public.
While With Love did make the Netflix top 10 globally, as well as in the U.K. and the U.S, it marked a rare moment in which American derision appeared to .
Williams Brown is chief royal correspondent for Regalrumination.com, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly , at and read his stories on Regalrumination.com’s .
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