Meghan Markle's Ex-Supporter Katherine Ryan Accuses The Duchess Of Lying: 'She Is Very Hollywood'

Comedian Katherine Ryan, who has been a Meghan Markle supporter, seems to be having a change of heart about the Duchess of Sussex.

She questioned Meghan's childhood narratives on her podcast and claimed the former actress's story keeps changing.

Katharine Ryan also dismissed Meghan Markle's name change to "Sussex" as a way to retain royal ties.

Ryan, who previously voiced her support for Meghan, is now reassessing her stance after watching her latest Netflix series, "With Love, Meghan."

The comedian described the eight-part cooking show as "manicured and very forced."

Speaking on her "Telling Everybody Everything" podcast, she admitted: "I liked Meghan Markle. I was rooting for Meghan Markle… though she is very Hollywood – even for me – and I don't like that in people."

"I see now, and maybe it's just the projects she's choosing, it does feel like she has lied about whether she knew who Prince Harry was, and these details about her childhood change and don't add up," Ryan added, per the New York Post.

Ryan expressed skepticism over some of Meghan's past statements, particularly regarding her upbringing.

"She said on her new Netflix show that they ate TV dinners growing up, but then in an old interview, she was like, 'We would eat farm fresh.' Her whole act just seems very manicured and very forced," Ryan explained.

Ryan also shared that while she doesn't believe Meghan is a "bad person," she does think the "Suits" star enjoys being part of the celebrity elite.

The comedian claimed that the duchess "likes cozying up to celebrities and she wants the hundred million dollar deal and she likes the fact that she's married to a prince."

"Of course. But I would rather someone lean into that and be like, oh my God, I used to be on 'Suits' and now I'm married to a prince," Ryan noted. "I would rather that than this act of: Oh, I'm just so humble."

Despite mixed reactions, Meghan's show has already been renewed for a second season. However, Ryan believes its success may not be entirely organic.

"People are hate-watching it, though," Ryan pointed out. "Who knows what Netflix is doing? They are smart — whether they love something or hate something, whatever keeps them watching more episodes."

She went on to speculate about the platform's strategy.

"If this was Netflix's intention, to be like, let's throw Meghan under the bus where even people who really liked her are turning… not against her, but… she just doesn't seem to be the kind of gal I would want to be friends with. It's too manicured, it's too beige."

In "With Love, Meghan," Meghan made it clear to her actress friend Mindy Kaling that she no longer goes by "Meghan Markle" but instead prefers "Meghan Sussex."

While she claims the name change was to align with her children's surname, Ryan shared she isn't convinced.

"Let's be honest about why you're choosing Sussex," Ryan said bluntly. "It's a way to hang on to the Duchess of Sussex."

The comedian also weighed in on the broader topic of name changes after marriage.

She noted, "I think less of women who change their name anyway, to match their husband's name - unless you have had a chat about it and unless you have approached that decision with equality."

Meanwhile, Netflix executives reportedly aren't calling "With Love, Meghan" a major hit, as new data suggests the show has struggled to capture the same audience as Meghan's previous projects.

According to the Daily Mail, the streaming giant's internal figures reveal that viewers are far more engaged when Meghan appears alongside Prince Harry.

Despite the initial buzz, the eight-part cooking series has only attracted a fraction of the audience that tuned in for "Harry & Meghan" in 2022.

In its first five days, "With Love, Meghan" was watched by approximately 526,000 households, according to Samba TV, significantly lower than the 2.1 million who watched "Harry & Meghan" in the same timeframe.

Interestingly, the show has found more success in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia than in the U.S., U.K., and Canada.

In the Baltic nations, it ranked as the seventh most-watched show on Netflix, while in North America and Britain, it sat at number ten.

It has already dropped out of the top ten in many other countries. Demographic data suggests that "With Love, Meghan" resonated most with viewers aged 45 to 54, contrasting the broader appeal of her previous projects.

While Netflix remains tight-lipped on whether the show met internal expectations, an insider admitted, "It's not a runaway success."