MEGHAN’S MONEY PIT!
Harasses hubby for help funding lifestyle brand
MONEY hungry Duchess Meghan’s new lifestyle brand is barely out of the wrapper, but sources say she’s panicking the much criticized enterprise will go bust and is demanding henpecked hubby Harry ride to the rescue! “Meghan’s still talking a good game in public, but behind the scenes it’s a very different story,” spills a snitch. “There’s no doubt all the criticism is really getting to her!”
The former Suits actress, 42, announced the launch of her brand, American Riviera Orchard, in March. But it quickly faced backlash over the first run of Meghan’s homemade strawberry jam when fans spotted “labels peeling off” jars in photos posted on social media. “The fact that so many people are savaging her brand already is a terrible sign, and the worry is that all the ridicule is going to tarnish it before it’s even fully out of the starting blocks,” says the mole. Even worse, there’s growing speculation investors aren’t lining up to plunk dough into the venture, which our sources say has thrown Meghan into a tizzy.
“She’s making a big effort not to let anyone see her sweat, but people in her circle are whispering there are a lot more problems than she’s letting on,” says the mole.
And she’s said to be turning the screws on Harry to help bring in backers. “Harry’s being tasked with turning things around before it’s too late,” confides the tipster. “He’s not used to pestering his contacts for money, except for charity, but the word is Meghan’s demanding he start calling in some favors.”
The royal renegades recently made a splash at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge to benefit Sentebale, a charity Harry co-founded that supports children in Lesotho and Botswana. According to our spy, the Duke of Sussex was talking up his wife’s new venture to the mega-rich donors who attended the event in posh Wellington, Fla.
“It’s clearly out of Harry’s comfort zone, but he’s doing his best to keep Meghan happy,” says the source. “He always does what she tells him to do — and there’s a lot riding on her Goop lifestyle knockoff. “So, as you might imagine, the stress level right now for Meghan and everyone else involved with the brand is through the roof!”