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Kaling’s comments come after the Duchess of Sussex was attacked by the likes of Meghan McCain, Bethenny Frankel and others over the coming series.
Mindy Kaling is setting the record straight about her friend Meghan Markle.
In a new interview with Time, Kaling spoke about her part in the upcoming Netflix show With Love, Meghan, and cleared up what she believes is a major misconception about the Duchess of Sussex.
“I think a misconception about Meghan is that she’s in any way fussy or has expectations of fanciness,” The Office alum told the outlet. “She really is a down-to-earth person who knows a lot of fun tricks to make entertaining and cooking easier.”
Teasing the episode she takes part in, Kaling revealed that she picked up some tips for throwing a children’s party.
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“I love cooking, but I’m really not good at entertaining,” she admitted. “I don’t know anything about how you’re not supposed to use overhead lighting when people come over. You’re supposed to use little lamps. But Meghan just knows how to do that stuff.”
The mom of three added, “For kids’ parties, I usually just go to the party supply store and get paper things, which I don’t judge and neither does she. But it was fun to learn simple ways to do a homemade kids’ party.”
As for how she got involved in the Netflix series, Kaling revealed that it was shortly after the birth of her third child last year when Markle reached out and asked her to join her on the show.
“I was on maternity leave with my daughter in March and April, and Meghan texted me that she was doing a show where she was going to cook for her friends,” she told Time. “Would I want to come to Montecito and have her cook for me? I wanted to get taken care of in that moment of my life. That was a fun maternity leave field trip.”
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“I left with a basket of fresh produce and homemade jam and hot sauce because she knew I loved hot sauce,” she continued. “She’s a very generous woman who knew I needed a break.”
The show comes as Markle has received backlash from other celebrities like former View co-host Meghan McCain and Bethenny Frankel, who have each made disparaging comments about the Duchess, with McCain saying she “can’t stand” Markle and Frankel calling the show “too perfect.”
“I cannot stand her,” McCain said Wednesday during an episode of her Happy Hour digital series. “I love people that I can relate to, like every other 40-year-old mom. I don’t want to eat her jam. I love Princess Kate [Middleton].”
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Earlier in the week, Markle announced via social media that she was renaming her lifestyle brand from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever — something else McCain took issue with.
“I don’t know what she’s doing,” she told guests Perez Hilton and Mary Katharine Ham. “This is, like, her ninth rebrand. I actually had to review her show and her podcast, and it was horrible. It was so boring.”
Frankel, meanwhile, said the rebrand all points to an “identity issue” for Markle.
“Meghan Markle can’t win for losing,” The Real Housewives of New York City alum said in a TikTok rant earlier this week.
“I think the reason she can’t win for losing is that there is a lack of identity and understanding as to exactly who she is to the audience,” the reality TV continued, noting that if Markle should have stuck to her “perfect” Montecito aesthetic.
“Which would have been fine — commit to the bit,” Frankel said of the $14 million dollar mansion she and Prince Harry own in the ritzy Santa Barbara, California town. “It is pretty prestigious so commit to that bit.”
However, Frankel said that because Markle received a “reaction” from consumers, Markle wanted to make her self more relatable, and present content that was “more natural” and “unfiltered.”
The switch-up, Frankel, believes, is “turning people off” because now viewers are wondering where the “perfect content” went.
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Markle announced the re-brand earlier this week in a video shared to Instagram Tuesday.
“I’m shocked we’ve kept this a secret for so long. In two weeks, my show is coming out, which I’m so excited for. And also my business, which I think there has been a lot of curiosity about,” Markle told her followers.
She continued, 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. 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.”
“Of course, there will be fruit preserves; I think we’re all clear at this point that jam is my jam,” she added. “But there are so many more products that I just love, and now it’s time to share them with you. So I just can’t wait for you to see it. Thanks, guys!”
As for Markel’s show, that’s set to premiere March 4, after the mother of two made the decision to delay With Love, Meghan‘s release date over the devastating wildfires in her hometown of Los Angeles.
