Meghan Markle is undeniably one of the most famous people on the planet.
But these days, she must sometimes feel as though she’s experiencing all the drawbacks of mega-stardom with few of the benefits.
As we’ve previously reported, Meghan’s approval rating is at an all-time low, and this decline in popularity has begun to affect the Duchess’ career prospects.
Earlier this year, Meghan’s Spotify podcast was canceled after only a single season, and it’s been rumored that Netflix execs are unsatisfied with the fruits of their Sussex partnership.
It would be too soon to say that Meghan and Prince Harry have failed in their efforts to make a name for themselves on the American media landscape.
But the transition from London to Hollywood has likely been more difficult than the couple anticipated when they first stepped down from their roles as working royals.
The Sussexes appear to be at a crossroads, and there’s been a great deal of talk about which direction they’ll take.
Some observers believe Meghan will return to acting.
Others believe that 2024 will see the announcement of a tell-all memoir from the Duchess of Sussex.
Whatever the case, says one royal expert, Meghan and Harry will soon abandon their attempts to win the public’s sympathy and instead start leaning into their reputations as A-list celebs.
“While preaching kindness and telling everyone else what to do with their lives might make them feel virtuous, it’s not paying the bills for the lavish lifestyle to which they would like to remain accustomed,” columnist Jane Moore wrote for The Sun this week.
Moore quotes Los Angeles marketing guru Stacy Jones as saying:
“It’s circled around ‘poor Meghan and Harry’ and that’s not a platform you can build a brand on.”
More goes on to note that the Sussexes’ latest high-profile outing was more than a little out of character.
As we previously reported, Meghan and Harry were in attendance at Katy Perry’s final Las Vegas residency concert on Saturday night.
They arrived in Sin City in style, borrowing the private jet of a billionaire friend.
It’s hardly in step with what we’ve seen of the Sussexes up to this point, as the couple has spent a great deal of time burnishing their image as environmentally conscious friends of the planet.
“In other words, they’ve decided to drop the constant virtue signaling and embrace what we always suspected Meghan craved all along — an A-list celebrity lifestyle funded by lucrative endorsements and favors from billionaires who want to be seen with someone famous,” More writes.
That’s likely an exaggeration, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Meghan and Harry begin to take a more straightforward approach to their careers and stop trying to win the war of public opinion against the royals.
Ironically, such a move could do wonders for the Sussexes’ reputation.