Meghan Markle accused of 'stealing' name for new podcast from US businesswoman's YouTube series

MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA: Meghan Markle has found herself embroiled in a fresh controversy after it was revealed that her newly announced podcast, 'Confessions of a Female Founder', shares its title with a series already launched by Kady Meite.

Meite, a successful entrepreneur based in Philadelphia and the 24-year-old founder of the hoodie-hijab clothing brand Veil Street, began sharing her business journey through a YouTube series called 'Confessions of a Female Founder' in October 2023.

Meghan Markle copies podcast title from TikTok entrepreneur

Kady Meite, who has amassed 45,000 followers on TikTok, created the series to offer insights and advice on her entrepreneurial journey, beginning with her brand and later expanding on the lessons she's learned in her 8 years as a business owner.

Her first episode focused on how to successfully launch a "drop" event, and subsequent episodes dove into her life story and what she wishes she'd known when starting her business, Daily Mail reported.

Markle's podcast, also named 'Confessions of a Female Founder', was announced recently and promises candid conversations with women entrepreneurs, discussing both the highs and lows of building a business.

The timing of both releases has sparked widespread discussion online, with some accusing the duchess of copying Meite's title.

One YouTube user shared, "I came because of the Duchess of disaster, stayed for the great business advice, subscribed for the amazing content! Thanks M.M."

Another wrote, "Meghan Markle stole your title of Confessions of a Female Founder."

A different viewer pointed out, "Sorry to see that Meghan Markle has decided to rip off the content and ideas of a beautiful young Black woman; she’s got no originality whatsoever! Sad."

A follower commented, "Everything she does is so messy!"

One opinion stated, "New sub, thank Meghan Markle for literally taking your idea!"

Another individual observed, "Sorry to see Meghan ripped you off. Meghan should be truly ashamed of herself!"

Despite the accusations, Meite has defended Meghan, understanding the coincidence of the situation.

"It is highly unlikely Meghan even came across my channel but I am flattered by the thought," Meite told Yahoo Lifestyle.

She added, "What does concern me is how quickly this is turning into another reason to drag a woman down. That's not something I want to contribute to. I know firsthand what it feels like to have my work actually copied, this isn't that."

Kady Meite successfully runs Veil Street brand and KYM cosmetics venture

Kady Meite's brand, Veil Street, fuses '90s hip-hop and 2000s street fashion with modest clothing and has gained attention for its innovative Hoodjab—a patented hoodie-hijab hybrid.

She also launched KYM Cosmetics in 2019 and achieved impressive sales of $20,000 on her 20th birthday.

On the first episode of her podcast, Meite shared insights on the challenges and successes of being a young entrepreneur.

"One of the biggest reasons why I created the series in the first place is that when you're a business owner, there is no true guidebook. Every person's journey is going to look incredibly different," she explained.

'There's no such thing as seeing someone's formula and deciding you're going to copy it and you're just going to have the exact same success. That's pretty much impossible in the world of business and there's no one telling you every day what there is that you need to do and you pretty much have to get good at being your own boss."

She mentioned her cosmetics brand's $20,000 earning in sales in one day on her 20th birthday, adding, "I have learned that every day that you wake up it is a blessing because you still have the opportunity to pursue your dreams."

Meghan Markle's cooking show 'With Love, Meghan' was another rip-off

This latest controversy follows a series of similar incidents surrounding Meghan Markle's recent ventures.

Her Netflix series, 'With Love, Meghan', which premiered on March 4, has already been criticized for bearing similarities to other celebrity cooking shows such as Pamela Anderson's that launched on Canada's Flavour Network earlier this month.

Markle, who recently showcased a "Ladybug"-themed appetizer on the show, faced backlash when viewers pointed out that the recipe had been circulating online for years, as early as 2015, on dozens of food blogs and cooking channels. 

In another segment, she tried beekeeping, an activity famously enjoyed by her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, further fueling the copycat claims.

The Duchess of Sussex’s 'With Love, Meghan' has already filmed a second season, despite the negative reviews it received after its premiere.

Her previous podcast, 'Archetypes', which discussed female stereotypes, was part of the Sussexes’ deal with Spotify but was canceled after just one season.

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.