Meghan Markle Reacts to Le Creuset Controversy on Her Netflix Show: ‘This Is a Thing, in 2025?’

• Meghan Markle weighed in on social media backlash over her use of Le Creuset in her Netflix show, questioning why it was controversial in 2025
• The Duchess of Sussex told the New York Times that her life “hasn’t always been like this,” pushing back on claims she’s out of touch
• Meghan’s new lifestyle brand, As ever, launched on April 2, with its first collection selling out in under an hour

Meghan Markle addressed criticism of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan after some viewers argued that her use of Le Creuset cookware set an unrealistic standard because of the products’ high price.

In an interview with The New York Times on April 2, the reporter informed the Duchess of Sussex about the controversy, explaining that social media posts had focused on her Le Creuset pots, claiming they were too expensive for many Black women to afford and more ostentatious than traditional cast-iron. In response, Black women began sharing photos of their own extensive Le Creuset collections online.

According to the outlet, Meghan, visibly perplexed, threw up her hands and turned to her mother, Doria Ragland, who was with her during the interview in her Montecito kitchen, and said, “This is a thing, in 2025?”

Doria, 68, replied: “Everyone is coming in hot these days.”

Members of Meghan’s team monitor comment sections and social media so she doesn’t have to, reports the outlet.

One of those takes referenced in the interview came from MSNBC journalist Michele Norris, who came to Meghan’s defense, asking on Threads: “Why is anyone surprised or disturbed that she would have beautiful color coordinated cookware? Does anyone drag Ina or Martha for their cookware? Sure it would be nice to see a big heavy well-seasoned black skillet up in there. But did anyone expect that? So Yes, Le Creuset is beautiful but it is not merely performative cookware.”

According to The New York Times, Meghan is frustrated by accusations that she is unrelatable and out of touch. Elsewhere in the interview, she said, “Don’t they know my life hasn’t always been like this?” as she gestured toward her home’s sweeping views.

The interview was held in the kitchen of the Montecito, California home that the Duchess of Sussex shares with her husband Prince Harry and their children Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. The reporter noted that a framed photo of Prince Harry, 40, with his late mother, Princess Diana, was displayed nearby.

Of her new show and lifestyle brand, As ever, Meghan told the NYT: “I need to work, and I love to work. This is a way I can connect my home life and my work.”

The Duchess of Sussex didn’t film With Love, Meghan in her actual kitchen and instead recorded the eight-episode series in another home in Montecito. Exclusively speaking to PEOPLE, Meghan described her kitchen as a sacred space.

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“I wanted to protect that safe haven,” she says. “We’re a close-knit family, and I love those moments — putting Lili down for a nap, having lunch together, having sacred time together at the end of the day. Our kitchen is where Mama just cooks for the family, and with a crew of 80-plus people, that’s a lot of people to have in your house!”

“I never had a garden like this — growing up, I never had anything like this,” she continued, referencing her home’s expansive gardens. “I think no matter how much things change, I love that at our core, we’re the same as we’ve always been.”

Meghan also shared the recipe for a “Chantilly Lili” dessert, named after her daughter, with The New York Times, and explained that not every dish she serves is homemade.

“There are professionals who do that better than I ever will,” she said about an attempt at sourdough bread.

Meghan debuted her As ever collection on April 2. PEOPLE understands that the entire product line sold out on asever.com in under an hour after it went live at 9 a.m. ET.