It looks like Oprah Winfrey’s touch could not turn Meghan Markle’s As Ever jam into a success. Winfrey reportedly tried to help the Duchess of Sussex by including her lifestyle brand’s jam in the 2025 edition of Oprah’s “Favorite Things” list. The move was quiet, but it was meant to give Markle’s struggling product a boost. However, sources say the advocacy barely made a ripple.
Oprah Winfrey couldn’t sell Meghan Markle’s As Ever jam, claims source
Insiders exclusively told Rob Shuter’s #ShuterScoop that Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Meghan Markle’s As Ever jam was more of a friendly gesture than a sales spark. A retail insider claimed that there was “no demand.” According to them, “This was a favor, not a phenomenon” — a sentiment that reflected how much the power of celebrity endorsements has changed. Once upon a time, an Oprah stamp of approval could make a product sell out in a day. Now, it’s not so easy to sway the shoppers.
A social media strategist compared the situation with pop star Taylor Swift’s, saying, “Taylor Swift posts a cardigan—it’s gone in 60 seconds. Oprah posts jam, people keep scrolling.” This shift showed a clear generational change in who steered online shopping trends. In the early 2000s, Winfrey’s influence was capable of transforming small brands overnight, but today, it is influencers and musicians who dominate digital commerce. A brand analyst summed this up, pointing out, “In 2005, Oprah built empires. In 2025, Taylor Swift saves them.”
In the end, it appears as though Markle’s As Ever jam did not get the rebound it needed — not even from Winfrey. Despite support from one of the most powerful women in media, the product could not find momentum among modern consumers.
Markle launched As Ever earlier this year as American Riviera Orchard. Now, the lifestyle brand is “an extension of how” she loves, according to the website.
