Candace Owens Tears Into Meghan Markle’s Podcast Flop: A Public Feud Ignites Over Authenticity and Ambition
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been no stranger to public scrutiny since stepping away from royal duties in 2020. Her latest venture, the podcast Confessions of a Female Founder, launched with Lemonada Media on April 15, 2025, was intended to showcase her as a champion of female entrepreneurship. Instead, it has become a lightning rod for criticism, with conservative commentator Candace Owens leading the charge. In a blistering May 2025 episode of her podcast, The Candace Owens Show, Owens branded Meghan’s podcast a “cringe-worthy flop,” accusing her of inauthenticity, opportunism, and exploiting feminism for personal gain. The attack, amplified across social media, has sparked a heated public feud, raising questions about Meghan’s brand and the polarized lens through which she is viewed. This article explores Owens’s accusations, the podcast’s reception, and the broader implications of this high-profile clash.
The Podcast: Confessions of a Female Founder
Confessions of a Female Founder was announced as a cornerstone of Meghan’s post-royal media empire, following her Netflix series With Love, Meghan and the launch of her As Ever lifestyle brand. Produced in partnership with Lemonada Media, known for its female-focused content, the podcast aimed to spotlight “unfiltered conversations” with women entrepreneurs, including Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd, Spanx founder Sara Blakely, and Allbirds co-founder Joey Zwillinger. Meghan, who served as executive producer, described the project as a passion-driven effort to “uplift women who are breaking barriers,” drawing on her pre-royal experience running The Tig, her lifestyle blog.
The podcast debuted to significant fanfare, with its first episode garnering 1.2 million downloads within 24 hours, according to Variety on April 16, 2025. Meghan’s warm hosting style and focus on themes like resilience and authenticity resonated with fans, who praised her for spotlighting lesser-known founders alongside A-listers. However, the podcast’s momentum faltered. By May 2025, listener numbers had reportedly dropped to under 500,000 per episode, and its 5.8/10 IMDb rating reflected a mixed response. Critics, including a New York Post review on April 20, called it “self-indulgent” and “repetitive,” accusing Meghan of centering herself over her guests. Social media posts on X further amplified the backlash, with users labeling it “boring” and “out of touch.”
Candace Owens’s Attack: A Brutal Takedown
Candace Owens, a polarizing figure known for her conservative commentary and critiques of progressive celebrities, seized on the podcast’s struggles in a May 12, 2025, episode of her podcast. Titled “Meghan Markle’s Cringe-Fest: Why Her Podcast Is a Total Disaster,” Owens’s 20-minute segment was a scathing indictment of Meghan’s venture. She accused Meghan of “cosplaying as a feminist” to mask her “desperate need for relevance,” claiming the podcast was a “cynical cash grab” that exploited the struggles of real entrepreneurs. Owens pointed to specific moments—like Meghan’s anecdote about baking cookies with her mother, Doria Ragland, to bond with guests—as “cringe-inducing” and “inauthentic,” arguing they felt scripted to appeal to a liberal audience.
Owens also took aim at Meghan’s credentials, questioning her authority to speak on entrepreneurship. “She ran a blog that shut down when she got famous, and now she’s lecturing women who built billion-dollar companies?” Owens remarked, referencing The Tig’s closure in 2017. She accused Meghan of “stealing” the podcast concept from existing shows like How I Built This and The Goal Digger Podcast, a charge echoed by X users who claimed Meghan lacked originality. Owens further alleged that Meghan’s “victim narrative”—highlighted in her discussion of media scrutiny with Wolfe Herd—was a tired tactic to deflect criticism, calling it “the oldest trick in the Hollywood playbook.”
The most personal jab came when Owens mocked Meghan’s As Ever brand, particularly its $14 cookie mixes and $12 herbal teas, as “overpriced nonsense for gullible fans.” She contrasted Meghan’s “Montecito mansion lifestyle” with the “real struggles” of her podcast guests, accusing her of “playacting” as a relatable figure. The segment, which garnered 3.5 million views on YouTube, ended with Owens urging listeners to “stop falling for Meghan’s act,” predicting the podcast’s imminent cancellation due to its “embarrassing” reception.
The Podcast’s Struggles: Fact or Exaggeration?
While Owens’s critique was biting, the podcast’s performance provides context for her claims. Confessions of a Female Founder faced several challenges:
Mixed Reception: Critics noted the podcast’s lack of depth, with The Independent on April 22, 2025, describing it as “polished but predictable,” overly reliant on Meghan’s personal anecdotes. Listeners on X echoed this, with @PopCultureVibe tweeting, “Meghan’s podcast feels like a therapy session for her, not her guests.” The 5.8/10 IMDb rating reflects this divide, with fans praising its aesthetic but detractors calling it “vapid.”
Audience Fatigue: The podcast launched amid a crowded media landscape, competing with established shows like The Michelle Obama Podcast and Call Your Girlfriend. Meghan’s high-profile status drew initial listeners, but sustaining engagement proved difficult, as reported by Forbes on May 5, 2025, which noted a 60% drop in downloads by episode five.
Perceived Inauthenticity: Meghan’s emphasis on her “founder” status—tied to The Tig and As Ever—drew skepticism. A Daily Mail article on April 25, 2025, quoted PR expert Mark Borkowski, who argued Meghan’s “entrepreneur” label felt “forced,” given her wealth and royal connections. X posts like @RoyalTeaSpill’s accused her of “cosplaying as a startup hustler,” aligning with Owens’s critique.
Pricing Backlash: The As Ever brand, heavily promoted in the podcast, faced criticism for its high prices. A May 2, 2025, Express report highlighted fan frustration over $14 cookie mixes, with one X user joking, “Meghan’s selling cookies for the price of a mortgage payment.” This fueled perceptions of elitism, which Owens capitalized on.
However, the “flop” narrative requires nuance. The podcast’s 1.2 million initial downloads and Lemonada’s May 10, 2025, announcement of a second season suggest a loyal audience. Meghan’s supporters, including Mindy Kaling, who appeared on With Love, Meghan, praised her authenticity, with Kaling telling Fox News on April 18, 2025, that Meghan’s “warmth shines through.” X users like @MeghanFanClub defended the podcast as “inspiring,” arguing critics were biased against her. The show’s focus on diverse founders, like Zwillinger’s sustainability efforts, earned praise from outlets like Fast Company, which called it “a step forward for representation” on April 19, 2025.
The Owens-Markle Feud: A Clash of Ideologies
Owens’s attack is more than a critique of a podcast—it’s a clash of worldviews. Owens, a vocal critic of progressive figures, has targeted Meghan before, notably in 2021 when she dismissed Meghan’s Oprah interview as “nonsense” on Fox News. Her May 2025 takedown frames Meghan as a symbol of “woke” hypocrisy, accusing her of leveraging feminism and victimhood to mask ambition. This resonates with Owens’s broader narrative, seen in her critiques of celebrities like Beyoncé and Cardi B, whom she accuses of exploiting social issues for clout.
Meghan, conversely, has positioned herself as a progressive advocate, using her platform to address gender equity, racial justice, and mental health. Her April 2025 Independent interview with Wolfe Herd, where she discussed the “brutalising” media scrutiny she faces, underscores this. The podcast’s focus on female founders aligns with her Archewell Foundation’s mission, which donated $1 million to women-led startups in 2025, as reported by HELLO! on April 14. The feud with Owens highlights a deeper divide: Meghan’s vision of empowerment versus Owens’s skepticism of celebrity-driven activism.
Social media has amplified this clash. Owens’s fans on X, like @PatriotMama22, hailed her for “calling out Meghan’s grift,” while Meghan’s supporters, such as @DuchessDefender, accused Owens of “jealousy” and “misogyny.” The feud has spilled into broader cultural debates, with some X users framing it as a proxy for racial and political tensions, given Owens’s conservative stance and Meghan’s biracial identity. A May 13, 2025, Daily Mail article noted the feud’s “racial undertones,” citing Owens’s past comments on Black celebrities as context.
The Broader Context: Meghan’s Polarized Image
The podcast controversy is part of Meghan’s ongoing struggle to redefine her public image. Her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, launched in March 2025, faced similar criticism for inauthenticity, with chef Jameson Stocks calling it “forced” in an Express interview on April 4, 2025. Her As Ever brand, with its high-priced products, has been mocked as elitist, as seen in a May 2 Express report. Previous ventures, like the canceled animated series Pearl, also drew scrutiny, with Fox News on April 23, 2025, noting plagiarism claims by author Mel Elliott.
Meghan’s outspokenness—whether advocating for Gaza aid in a January 2025 Instagram story or discussing media bias—makes her a target for critics like Owens, who thrive on polarizing narratives. Yet, her resilience is evident. Her wildfire relief efforts with José Andrés, reported by Page Six on May 14, 2025, and her podcast’s focus on underrepresented founders show a commitment to impact. The polarized response—adoration from fans, vitriol from detractors—mirrors broader cultural divides, with Meghan as a lightning rod.
The Impact on Meghan’s Brand
Owens’s attack threatens Meghan’s carefully curated brand. The “cringe” label, amplified by 3.5 million YouTube views, risks alienating potential listeners and As Ever customers, already skeptical of her pricing. Lemonada’s commitment to a second season suggests confidence, but sustained listener drop-off could jeopardize the podcast’s future. Meghan’s $100 million Netflix deal, including With Love, Meghan’s fall 2025 season, remains a financial buffer, but her ability to weather this storm depends on regaining public trust.
Owens, meanwhile, benefits from the feud’s visibility. Her podcast episode’s viral spread, coupled with her history of targeting high-profile figures, solidifies her brand as a provocateur. However, her aggressive rhetoric risks alienating moderate listeners, as seen in X posts like @NeutralObserver’s, which criticized her “mean-spirited” tone.
Lessons from the Feud
The Owens-Markle clash underscores the challenges of celebrity branding in a polarized digital age. Meghan’s podcast, while well-intentioned, struggled to balance authenticity with accessibility, a misstep Owens exploited. The feud highlights the power of social media to amplify criticism, with X and YouTube driving the “flop” narrative. For Meghan, the lesson is clear: refine her messaging to counter perceptions of elitism. For Owens, the risk is overplaying her hand, turning critique into personal vendetta.
The broader cultural divide—between progressive idealism and conservative skepticism—fuels this feud, with Meghan and Owens as avatars of opposing camps. The podcast’s fate, and Meghan’s ability to rise above the “cringe” label, will hinge on her capacity to connect authentically with listeners.
Conclusion
Candace Owens’s takedown of Meghan Markle’s Confessions of a Female Founder has transformed a struggling podcast into a cultural flashpoint. By branding it a “cringe-worthy flop,” Owens tapped into widespread skepticism about Meghan’s authenticity, igniting a feud that exposes deeper tensions over fame, feminism, and public perception. While the podcast’s challenges—mixed reviews, listener drop-off, and pricing backlash—lend credence to Owens’s critique, Meghan’s loyal fanbase and Lemonada’s support suggest resilience. As this clash plays out, it’s clear that Meghan’s journey, like her podcast, is anything but ordinary. The internet is buzzing, and the world is watching to see who comes out on top.
