Meghan Markle Suffers Huge Blow as She’s Outdone by Gwyneth Paltrow

Meghan Markle Suffers Huge Blow as She’s Outdone by Gwyneth Paltrow

In a stark reminder of the cutthroat world of celebrity lifestyle branding, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been handed a significant setback with fresh data revealing her nascent venture, As Ever, is lagging far behind Gwyneth Paltrow’s established empire. According to analytics from brand intelligence platform Similarweb, As Ever’s website garnered just 196,831 monthly visits in October 2025, a mere fraction of Goop’s robust 812,462—making Paltrow’s site four times more trafficked. This disparity comes at a precarious time for Markle, whose lifestyle brand launched amid high expectations following her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, but has struggled to convert buzz into sustained digital footfall. The numbers underscore the challenges of breaking into a market dominated by veterans like Paltrow, whose Goop has evolved from a newsletter into a $250 million wellness juggernaut over nearly two decades.

Paltrow’s Goop, synonymous with jade eggs, vaginal steaming, and unapologetic luxury self-care, has cultivated a loyal audience through relentless innovation and controversy-fueled publicity. In contrast, As Ever—Markle’s foray into home goods, recipes, and “everyday elegance”—has been dogged by comparisons that paint it as a derivative effort, with critics on platforms like Reddit accusing her of mimicking Goop “down to the lemons” in promotional imagery. While Markle boasts a lower bounce rate (suggesting visitors linger longer on her site), the raw traffic gap highlights Goop’s superior SEO, email list dominance, and cross-media synergies—hallmarks of Paltrow’s savvy business playbook. Insiders note that traffic doesn’t directly translate to sales, and Sussex sources insist As Ever is “doing well” behind the scenes, but the public metrics paint a humbling picture for a brand positioned as a fresh, relatable alternative

The rivalry—or perceived one—has simmered since As Ever’s soft launch earlier this year, fueled by media speculation and social media skirmishes. Markle herself leaned into the parallels during a podcast appearance, embracing labels like “the next Gwyneth Paltrow” as compliments from “incredibly successful businesswomen.” Yet, Paltrow has navigated the chatter with her trademark poise, addressing feud rumors in a March Instagram Q&A by featuring Markle in a lighthearted post and declaring, “I think there’s always more than enough to go around.”

Subtle digs, however, abound: Paltrow’s recent Vanity Fair interview casually admitted to barely knowing her Montecito neighbors, Harry and Meghan, quipping about “getting through their security detail” with a pie—a line that sparked Reddit threads dissecting it as a “juicy takedown.” Meanwhile, reports of exclusive dinner parties where Markle was notably absent have only amplified the narrative of social sidelining.

Social media has amplified the schadenfreude, with X users and Reddit communities like r/Saint Meghan Markle reveling in the data drop as a pre-Christmas “ouch” for the Sussexes. Posts mocking As Ever’s modest engagement—despite 350,000 followers yielding paltry likes—contrast sharply with Goop’s viral breakfast videos and sold-out product drops.

One viral thread speculated on a “battle” after Paltrow’s polished Instagram reels prompted Markle’s quick counter with a home-cooked clip, though detractors claimed it reeked of reactive imitation. Defenders argue the backlash smacks of misogyny, pointing out Paltrow’s own early flak for pseudoscience claims, but the online pile-on has been relentless, dubbing Markle everything from a “copycat” to a cautionary tale in celebrity entrepreneurship.

As Markle eyes expansion—rumors swirl of holiday pop-ups and a Reputation-style rebrand pivot—these metrics serve as a wake-up call. Paltrow, now 53 and thriving in her post-kids “supermom” era, offers a blueprint: authenticity over aspiration, controversy as currency. For Markle, outdone but undeterred, the road ahead demands more than Montecito glamour; it requires the kind of unfiltered edge that turned Goop’s detractors into devotees. In the wellness wars, the throne isn’t handed over—it’s seized, one viral visit at a time.