FEEL that? There’s a chill in the air, blowing all the way from Montecito.
But this isn’t a windblast, it is a Gwyn-blast — coming from the queen of the backhanded compliment, Gwyneth Paltrow.
16
16
The actress who lives in the same Californian town as the Duchess of Sussex, this week weighed in on the comparisons between these two lifestyle influencers.
Gwyneth reacted to her rival’s foray into the wellness industry, thanks to the Netflix series With Love, Meghan and its tie-in brand As Ever.
She said: “I was raised to see other women as friends, not foes. I think there’s always more than enough to go around.”
The Oscar-winning actress founded wellness brand Goop, which is reported to be worth almost £200million.
Read more on Meghan Markle
She coolly added: “Everybody deserves an attempt at everything that they want to try.”
Generous? Sure. But genuine? I’m not so sure.
16
16
Let’s not forget that after winning a bitter court battle against Dr Terry Sanderson, who claimed Gwyneth had caused him injuries during a ski collision in 2016, she whispered to him: “I wish you well.”
Feel that chill again?
The true meaning behind her words that day in court have been much discussed.
And now, Gwyneth’s carefully chosen comments about the duchess and her new TV series — which was panned by critics when it was released earlier this month — are up for debate too.
Social media users were quick to point out that Gwyneth was talking to Vanity Fair — the same magazine that tore Meghan and Prince Harry to shreds in January in a waspish report about their business endeavours, of which there have been many, and their home life.
But with Meghan’s As Ever products soon to become available, we look at how she stacks up against lifestyle guru Gwyn . . .
Founders and CEOs
16
16
OK, Gwyn’s had a headstart here – she launched her lifestyle brand, Goop, as a newsletter back in 2008, and has since steered it to a fortune of $200m.
In the intervening years, she’s expanded it to include e-commerce, pop-up shops, a wellness summit, a print mag, a podcast, a luxury cruise, beauty, clothing, home, decor and food lines, a meal delivery service and a docuseries for Netflix.
The company has, of course, been lambasted for its overpriced, nonscientific advice and products.
It was even forced to pay a $145,000 settlement in 2018 after a complaint alleged it made unsubstantiated claims – one being that its infamous “vagina eggs” helped to “balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles, prevent uterine prolapse and increase bladder control.”
Gwyn was also forced to make some staff cuts last year following poor sales.
But still, the company has a loyal and committed fanbase, who love its dedication to “out-there” approaches to health and wellness…a $15,000 gold-plated dildo, anyone?
Add in $18,000 gold dumbbells, priced at $125,000 a $27 bottle of psychic vampire repellant, and a $755 saucepan, and it’s clear that Gwyneth is catering to a very wealthy, experimental market – and they’re buying what she’s selling.
Meghan, on the other hand, has only just started laying the groundwork for her big business dreams.
So far, we know her brand As Ever plans to sell organic honey, shortbread, strawberry spread (i.e. jam), crepe mix, and edible flowers.
She’s also applied to trademark textiles, edible products, gardening gear, tableware, cosmetics and pet supplies.
16
16
But some dreams have already been thwarted, as budget Chinese clothing brand ASEVER has blocked her from selling clothes under the As Ever umbrella.
Comparatively, while Gwyneth embraces her aspirational and – some might say – elitist approach to health and wellness, Meghan can’t seem to pick a lane.
She swears she’s just like any working mum, because we all have time to grow all our own organic fruit and veg, sift salt crystals for our guestroom bathtubs and make Pinterest-perfect charcuterie boards daily for our VIP guests, right?
Her “out-of-touch” attitude to domestic bliss has rattled some people, who wish she would just own the fact that, rather than being the people’s princess, she’s actually living a very elevated existence in her Montecito ivory tower.
From where Gwyn’s sitting, Meghan may be clipping at her heels, but she’s lacking brand and self-awareness.
MOMS OF MONTECITO
16
16
FOR California natives, Montecito in Santa Barbara is known as the hub of Californian luxury and wellness. It’s a celebrity enclave for juice-loving, yoga-practising A-listers, making it the perfect base for both Gwyneth and Meghan.
Gwyneth was the first to invest in the area in 2016, buying a $5m home to add to her sprawling portfolio, and now lives there full-time with her husband, Brad Falchuk, and their blended family.
But Meghan made a big splash when she and Harry bought their Montecito mansion for $14.65million in 2020.
In her Netflix series, she shows sweeping vistas of Montecito’s hills and beaches, waxes lyrical about the local produce, and generally presents herself as the Californian-born face and voice of the enclave.
Interestingly, Vanity Fair makes a point of saying that Gwyneth lives “high in the hills of Montecito, up beyond Oprah’s gates and Harry and Meghan’s gates” – leaving no doubt about the fact she’s looking down on Meghan.
Ouch!
VANITY FAIR PLAY
16
16
Every luvvie worth her Gucci gown wants a cover with Vanity Fair – especially if it’s going to praise you across its glossy pages.
So, Gwyneth’s riding high this month, after posing for the legendary tome under the headline “Gwyneth’s world”.
Inside, the interviewer waxes lyrical about her impressive acting credits and business acumen, hailing her as “our ultimate celebrity influencer and alternative-wellness thought leader, seeding the culture with phenomena”.
She poses up a storm in the accompanying snaps, which have already been fawned over across the globe. After all, it’s Gwyneth’s world, and we’re all just living in it…
Including Meghan, who – sadly – didn’t get such a glowing write-up from the very same magazine in January.
Taking Meghan and husband Prince Harry to task in a damning expose titled “American Hustle,” Vanity Fair revived allegations about Meg’s bullying and “mean girl” behaviour in the workplace, detailed the couple’s cluelessness as would-be entrepreneurs, and quoted one anonymous neighbour calling them, “the most entitled, disingenuous people on the planet”.
Harsh, but Vanity Fair.
SHOWBIZ PALS
16
16
Meghan may have married a blue blood, but Gwyneth was born into Hollywood royalty, thanks to her screen icon mum, Blythe Danner, and director father, Bruce Paltrow.
She duly grew up among the A-list elite, with Steven Spielberg for a godfather, before dating some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck.
As we all know, she consciously uncoupled Chris Martin, who’s dad to her two kids, in 2014, before going on to marry director Brad.
When she’s not busy testing vagina eggs, she’s hobnobbing with her litany of A-list besties, including Demi Moore, Robert Downey Jr, Cameron Diaz, and Reese Witherspoon, and generally operating as one of Hollywood’s most integral power players.
As for Meghan, it’s no secret she’s worked hard to widen her A-list network – and, previously, she was primed for success.
Just take her and Harry’s 2018 wedding, where a Who’s Who of A-listers rocked up to St George’s Chapel, Windsor, including David and Victoria Beckham, George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey and Serena Williams.
Since then, Oprah, the Beckhams and the Clooneys have all seemingly distanced themselves from the Sussexes, noticeably snubbing them from their A-list events and gatherings.
Meghan hasn’t been pictured with Serena for years, and didn’t quite set the small screen alight with the guests she featured on With Love, Meghan.
Her biggest “get”, Mindy Kaling, was delighted to take part, but Meghan herself admitted they’re more like “email pen pals” than actual best buds.
Interestingly, Meghan made one of her biggest plays for A-list endorsement last year, when she sent out an exclusive batch of her luxury jams to 50 heavy hitters in Hollywood, including Mindy, Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen.
Curiously, it seems that her Montecito neighbour, Gwyn, didn’t receive a jar. (Or, if she did, she was in no mood to post about it).
The plot thickens, like jam.
SCREEN SUCCESS
16
16
AFTER 30 years in Hollywood, which included an Oscar-winning role in Shakespeare In Love (1999), Gwyneth took a step back from acting in 2019 to concentrate on Goop.
But, even as a “retired actor”, she has been in demand.
She is soon to appear in sports comedy-drama Marty Supreme, where she gets hot and heavy with her much-younger co-star Timothee Chalamet, 29.
As for Meghan, she never quite hit the big leagues before meeting her prince.
Her role on popular TV show Suits aside, she has few film credits to her name besides playing “Hot Girl” in 2005’s A Lot Like Love and narrating Disney documentary, Elephant, in 2020.
According to insiders, Harry and Meghan hoped the latter would land her more gigs with the production company, but it appears to be a bumpy road to happy ever after.
