Yes, the elephant — or should we say jar of jam — in the room was brought up by Mindy Kaling during Meghan Markle’s new Netflix series With Love, Meghan.
“[It was] probably one of the most glamorous moments of my life,” Kaling, 45, said about receiving a jar of the strawberry preserves in April 2024. Markle’s As Ever brand (previously named American Riviera Orchard) sent out personalized jars of jam to 50 of her famous friends, and each jar was numbered.
“As a very hierarchical person, I was like, who are these people?” Kaling, who received jar number 19 of 50, wondered during her With Love, Meghan appearance. “Does having a lower number make me more special?”
Markle, 43, made it clear that it was not “a ranking” of her celebrity friends.
“It was just, ‘Let me share them.’ And then people started to take it very personally,” Markle said, noting that her mother, Doria Ragland, was one of the recipients. Kaling was quick to quip that she was someone who took it personally.
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“Anyone who got one of those 50 jars that I was making on my stove in my actual kitchen at my house, I hope they all thought like, ‘I wanna share this with you,’” Markle added.
Other notable names like Abigail Spencer, Tracee Ellis Ross, Chrissy Teigen, Kris Jenner and RHOBH star Garcelle Beauvais also received the jar of jam — all with a different number affixed.
Markle used her calligraphy skills to write out the brand’s name on each jar, adding a personal touch to the gift. Each label also featured Montecito, which is where she and Prince Harry live. (With Love, Meghan was shot in the same area, but not at the royal couple’s actual home.) The jars of jam were delivered in a basket full of lemons, marking her official foray into the lifestyle space.
While the jam made major headlines at the time, further details about Markle’s brand were kept under wraps. She offered an update on the launch last month, revealing that the brand’s name had been changed from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever.
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“Last year, I had thought, ‘American Riviera, that sounds like such a great name.’ It’s my neighborhood; it’s a nickname for Santa Barbara, but it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area,” she explained in a video posted to Instagram on February 17, noting that the jam will be available to purchase once As Ever launches.
“Of course, there will be fruit preserves,” Markle said in the same video. “I think we’re all clear at this point that jam is my jam. 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.”
All episodes of With Love, Meghan are available to stream via Netflix on Tuesday, March 4.
