Gwyneth Paltrow dispels rumours of ‘beef’ with Meghan Markle in new video
Gwyneth Paltrow has finally addressed online speculation that a recent video she posted on social media was a veiled dig at Meghan Markle.
Paltrow, 52, who has long been considered one of the biggest names in the wellness industry since she launched her brand Goop, posted a video on her Instagram on Sunday (23 March) making breakfast.
In the video, Paltrow is seen sans makeup and dressed casually, leading many to conclude she was parodying Markle’s new Netflix series.
The Duchess of Sussex released her long-awaited cooking show With Love, Meghan earlier this month to poor reviews and complaints about its “staged” perfection.
Markle and Paltrow have been compared in the past as well, due to Markle’s former lifestyle brand and blog, The Tig.
“Love this,” wrote one person commenting on the post, interpreting it as a comparison to Markle. “No fake house, fake kitchen, fake hair extensions, fake friends just your beautiful true self. Such a breath of fresh air to see.”
On Tuesday, Paltrow decided to use the Ask Me Anything format on Instagram Stories to answer questions from fans, choosing to address a fan asking about Paltrow’s relationship with the duchess.
“Are you comprehending the Meghan Markle beef that social media says you two have?” the fan asked.
“I genuinely do not understand this at all, whatsoever,” Paltrow responds in a video response, looking into the camera.
The Iron Man star then turns to someone off-camera and asks: “Do you understand this?”
The camera pans to Markle, sitting comfortably in Paltrow’s kitchen. Responding wordlessly, she shrugs and eats another slice of what appears to be pie.
In an interview with Vanity Fair published last week, Paltrow opened up about whether or not she considers Markle’s new brand, As Ever, competition.
“I was raised to see other women as friends, not foes,” Paltrow said. “I think there’s always more than enough to go around. Everybody deserves an attempt at everything that they want to try.”
She added then that she didn’t “know Meghan and Harry”.
“I mean, I’ve met Meghan, who seems really lovely, but I don’t know her at all. Maybe I’ll try to get through their security detail and bring them a pie,” adding that when “there’s noise about certain women in the culture, I do have, always, a strong instinct to stand up for them”.
Clearly, Paltrow did what she meant to and managed to get Markle over for pie.
Markle recently launched a new Instagram shop selling both luxury and high street items. In an Instagram story announcing the news, she shared a screen recording of the store with the caption: “Many of you have asked, so here you go! A little shopping to start the week. Link in bio” along with a red heart emoji.
Earlier this month, she unveiled her first line of products for As Ever. They featured honey, raspberry spread, crepe mix, and hibiscus tea.
“As Ever essentially means as it’s always been, and if you’ve followed me since 2014 with The Tig, you know I’ve always loved cooking and crafting and gardening – this is what I do,” she explained.
“And I haven’t been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years, but now I can, so as things are starting to trickle out there, I wanted you to hear it from me first.”
Meghan and Harry stepped back from official royal duties and left the UK in 2020. Since then, they have undertaken a number of different ventures, from their Archewell non-profit organisation to Archetypes podcasts, the latter of which Meghan left a year after signing a multi-year deal with Spotify.
