Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand As Ever is facing renewed scrutiny after online critics questioned viral claims that the company received hundreds of thousands of orders in a single day, arguing that publicly available data does not support such figures.
The controversy erupted in late October 2025, when enthusiastic supporters on X (formerly Twitter) celebrated what they described as a massive sales milestone for As Ever, sharing screenshots that referenced “70,000 orders” — a number that was quickly amplified by fans to more than 700,000 orders in one day, citing unspecified “media reports.”
One post read: “Over 70,000 orders for Meghan and As Ever just yesterday — this is incredible!”
Soon after, the claim evolved online into far larger figures, fueling widespread excitement among supporters.
However, skepticism quickly followed.
Critics Question the Numbers
Online communities, including Reddit forums critical of the Duchess of Sussex, challenged the plausibility of the claims by pointing to website analytics data. According to traffic estimates from SimilarWeb — a third-party analytics service — As Ever’s website has reportedly recorded approximately 95,000 total visits since launch, leading critics to argue that hundreds of thousands of orders in a single day would be statistically unlikely.
“These numbers simply don’t add up,” one Reddit user wrote, suggesting the brand’s popularity had been overstated.
The debate gained traction across YouTube and Facebook, where videos with titles such as “Meghan Markle ‘Busted’ Over 700K Orders Claim” accumulated thousands of views. Content creators alleged that the buzz was driven more by promotional gifting than confirmed consumer purchases — a claim that has not been independently verified.
Questions Over PR Strategy, Not Proven Sales
Some critics allege that recent social media posts showing large shipments of As Ever products — including jams, teas, and candles — were evidence of PR packages sent to media outlets, influencers, and public figures, rather than customer orders. Meghan reportedly deleted one such post shortly after it appeared, further fueling speculation.
Marketing experts note, however, that PR gifting is a common practice in brand launches and does not necessarily indicate deceptive behavior.
“There’s a big difference between promotional outreach and falsifying sales,” one branding consultant said. “The issue arises when online hype fills in gaps that brands themselves haven’t explicitly clarified.”
A Pattern of Online Debate
As Ever launched in March 2025 with products such as strawberry jam and dog treats, initially reporting that items had “sold out” shortly after release. Some critics at the time accused the brand of manufacturing scarcity, while Meghan later acknowledged fulfillment delays and issued refunds, citing higher-than-expected demand.
Her team previously described the sell-outs as organic and denied any misleading intent.
The latest controversy coincides with the release of As Ever’s holiday collection, including candles priced at $64 — one of which was recently featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things list, adding visibility to the brand.
No Official Comment
Neither Meghan Markle nor Archewell has publicly commented on the latest allegations. Without independently verified sales data, the debate remains firmly in the realm of online speculation, amplified by long-standing divisions between supporters and critics of the Sussexes.
Fans continue to celebrate what they see as a successful venture, while detractors call for greater transparency. As one commenter summed it up: “Is this a genuine business boom — or just viral hype?”
For now, the answer remains unclear. What is certain is that As Ever’s performance — like many Sussex projects — continues to draw intense attention, scrutiny, and polarized reactions.
