Since I last wrote about Meghan Sussex, a lot has occurred. Rumors swirled about Meghan and Harry’s Netflix deal, season 2 of With Love, Meghan dropped, As Ever has had three more launches, and Meghan celebrated her 44th birthday. I’m here today with an update on all things business for our favorite Royal Girl Boss, along with my personal As Ever story!
My disclaimer from my first Meghan post applies: I once again want to make it clear that any racist or hateful comments on this post regarding Meghan and her family will not be tolerated.
The State of the Netflix Deal
On August 11, after weeks of speculation and false rumors, it was announced that Harry and Meghan had extended their working relationship with Netflix. The couple has a “multi-year, first-look deal via their banner Archewell Productions.” Additionally, Netflix will continue to work with Meghan to further develop the As Ever brand.
In July, word spread that Netflix had chosen not to renew their $100 million deal that expired this month. Who spread this word? Well, an unnamed “Hollywood insider,” of course. This story originated in The Sun, a notorious U.K. tabloid. It’s shocking how many legitimate news outlets took this headline and ran with it, only to have to backtrack weeks later with the truth, this time directly from Netflix. I was particularly perplexed by People Magazine’s engagement with the rumors. People has been a trusted outlet for Harry and Meghan, with Meghan even appearing on the cover with exclusive photos and an interview ahead of the first season of With Love. But hey, clicks are clicks.
Meghan’s People cover from March ’25
The only real change that comes with this new deal is that Harry and Meghan have the opportunity to shop their projects to other networks and streamers, after showing them to Netflix first. If Netflix chooses to pass on a project, the couple can send it to Hulu, Paramount, etc. The royal couple isn’t the only one who has entered into this sort of deal with the streaming giant. Barack and Michelle Obama have a similar first-look deal with Netflix. Not a bad company to be in!
With Love, Meghan Season 2
With Love, Meghan season 2, premiered on Netflix on August 26. The new season boasted guests from Tan France to Samin Nosrat. Though this season was filmed at the same time as the first season, I believe the vibe in this season is even more joyful. Meghan seems much more comfortable in front of the camera this time and works alongside her guests with more confidence. She seems less nervous and more present. Similarly, the guests this season seem more confident as well. There doesn’t seem to be as much of a “starstruck” quality to the guests as there was in the first season (*cough* Mindy Kaling *cough*). Season 2 seems to be closer to what Meghan envisioned for the show – two or more people coming together and sharing in the love of food, entertaining, and friendship.
The season 2 poster for With Love, Meghan
As of this writing, a third season of With Love hasn’t been announced. However, a holiday special of the show was revealed alongside the news of the couple’s new Netflix deal, named With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. The special will air this December.
The numbers from Season 1 of With Love arrived in July, with Netflix releasing its latest Engagement Report. With Love ranked 389th in the television category with 5.3 million views. You may look at that number initially and grimace, like I did. But I downloaded the entire report and was pleased to see the company that Meghan was in. At 410th is Beyoncé with the Beyoncé Bowl, and Gilmore Girls season 1 is 411th – believe me, y’all, Meg is doing just fine.
As Ever Evolves Past Their Initial Launch
Since our last As Ever update, a lot has happened! There have been two more spread drops, along with a special wine launch. In June, an apricot spread was added to the As Ever family, and in August, an orange marmalade spread joined the fun. Each flavor drop was accompanied by a restock of the evergreen products – the shortbread cookies, the flower sprinkles, the crepe mix, and the tea. The 2024 Napa Valley Rosé launched this summer. The rosé is sold in bottles of 3, starting at $90. Let me tell you, I’m dying to try this wine, but the price is a little too steep for me at the moment. If you’ve had the opportunity to try it, please let me know in the comments.
A screenshot from the As Ever website from 9/9/25
Business wise, the second As Ever launch completely sold out, similar to the first launch. The third launch was accompanied by more stock, leading to only the orange marmalade spread in the keepsake packaging being sold out at the time of this writing. Meghan spoke about As Ever’s inventory with Emily Chang of Bloomberg, sharing how each launch has been a learning opportunity for the company. You never truly know what the demand for a product will be until you launch it. Essentially, As Ever went from launching with 10,000 jars of raspberry spread to producing 100,000 jars of the orange marmalade spread. That sort of growth in less than a year is extraordinary.
With a holiday With Love special coming in December, I expect there to be a festive As Ever drop sooner rather than later. Cranberry spread? A gingerbread mix? The possibilities are endless.
My Personal As Ever Experience
When the second launch for As Ever arrived on the morning of June 20, I had the website up and ready, prepared to sacrifice my firstborn child for some apricot spread. I was thrilled to check out with my apricot spread (in the keepsake packaging) within minutes, wiping my brow later that morning when I saw that the launch had once again sold out. Unfortunately, this moment of relief was not meant to last.
I, along with many other customers, had their apricot spread orders cancelled a week later. I can’t lie, I was pretty bummed to receive that email. There wasn’t any nefarious reason for the cancellation, but the As Ever team told customers in an email that the spreads were oversold. They assured customers they would receive a refund for both the spread and for the shipping (which was $7 for me). On top of that, the team vowed that we would receive a spread upon restock, free of charge. I was skeptical of this claim, but nonetheless thrilled to receive a refund.
With the launch of season 2 of With Love, Meghan, the As Ever team contacted those with the cancelled orders to let them know that their spreads would be shipping within days. A week later, I received a special package in my mailbox.
Let me just say, the box, the packaging, the glass jar? It all looked absolutely stunning upon arrival and felt high-quality. After I had a little photoshoot with the jar, I knew it was time for a taste test.
As of this writing, I’ve tried the spread twice. Once with biscuits and once with rye toast. I will say that the apricot flavor packs a punch. A little goes a long way. I didn’t know this when I tried it with the biscuit, and was a bit overwhelmed with the tart taste of the apricot. I enjoyed the spread more with toast, as there was more surface area for the flavor to go. I could enjoy each bite without going “oh my!” I’d love to try the raspberry flavor in the future to see if that flavor packs as big of a punch as the apricot did.
The consistency of the spread is a bit more watery than traditional jam or jelly. The jar has a wide opening, and between that and the texture of the spread, it’s easy to take a spoon or a knife to the spread and smear it onto your item of choice. The spread itself settles back into the jar beautifully. Cleanup was easy, and any excess spread was able to be wiped off with a paper towel. I’m looking forward to finishing the product and reusing the gorgeous jar in a different way!
Overall, the apricot spread was a lovely experience for me. I would highly recommend ordering from As Ever. The customer service was incredible, the product itself was delightful, and the packaging was sturdy. Bravo, Meghan and team!
I’ll be back this winter to discuss the upcoming With Love holiday celebration. For now, I’ll be here with my apricot spread and watching With Love season 2 again.
Perhaps Meghan Sussex (Markle) says it best herself. “Meghan is a major advocate for mental health, family care, and gender equity. The Duchess hopes to be a cultural catalyst for positive change, reflecting her core belief that representation matters, and that communities can be enhanced through learning, healing, and inspirational support.”Boldly declaring herself a feminist in the first sentence of her biography, Meghan has always made one thing clear to the public – she is a believer in equitable change, inclusion, and the rights of all to enjoy a homemade jam. Or maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.
A disclaimer before we get started – I’m a fan of Meghan. I have been since she was on the cover of Vanity Fair in 2017 (with the headline “Wild About Harry!”) following Prince Harry coming out swinging against her critics, boldly (and correctly) calling the attacks racist. (Strangely, this statement appears to have been deleted from the Royal Family’s website.) I admired her modern feminism and unapologetic ambition. I’ve never seen Suits and didn’t read her blog The Tig, but I enjoyed watching her from afar after becoming familiar with her. Little did I know that opinion would be considered a hot take a few short years later! But we’re not here today to talk about the vitriol that Meghan (and to a lesser extent, Harry) has been forced to endure. We’re here to talk about her many business ventures and what I think of her latest one, her new lifestyle brand called As Ever.
Not that I expect any, but I want to make it clear that any racist or hateful comments on this post regarding Meghan and her family will not be tolerated. At the end of the day, I believe Meghan and Harry are lovely people raising young children. They deserve some peace.
Now, let’s dive into the business life of a Royal Girl Boss.
May 5, 2014: Meghan launches The Tig
“In the interest of taking good luck wherever I can find it, today marks the launch of The Tig,” MM in The Tig’s inaugural post.
The Tig, Meghan’s lifestyle blog, was the beginning of Meghan’s business ventures. Three years into acting as Rachel Zane on Suits, I imagine Meghan was looking for another creative outlet. The mid-2010’s was the height of personal blogs and The Tig came about at the perfect time. At its height, the blog assisted Meghan in gaining over 3 million Instagram followers before its deactivation in 2017.
The Tig featured posts on food, travel, beauty, and wellness. There were how-to’s, and travel tips, and Meghan interviewed chefs, designers, and friends. Her Q&A seemed to ask the following questions:
My nickname is _.
The first thing I do when I wake up is _.
I can’t live without _.
If I had one week to escape _.
If I only had $10 in my pocket _.
Everything tastes better with_.
A screenshot of The Tig’s homepage from 2014, courtesy of Meghan Maven
You may wonder how Meghan made money from this venture. The answer is simple: affiliate links and advertisers.
Affiliate links first became popular in the 2010s. Mention a lipstick you like? Link it and watch the money roll in. At that time, it wasn’t a requirement for bloggers, YouTubers, or other influencers to let their audience know they were making money off of their purchases – they were able to make their recommendations, add the link, and make thousands of dollars off of their audience. It wasn’t until later in the 2010s that the FTC caught on to this practice and required some sort of disclaimer on this practice.
I’m unsure if Meghan made a disclaimer to her readers on affiliate links, but I’m certain that she was bringing money in from them once The Tig hit its stride. The website had a “shop” tab and I have to assume she was linking clothing, shoes, accessories, and beauty products, among other items. The number I see floating around the internet regarding The Tig’s influence at its height was $80,000 a month, though I have no way of confirming that. But from what I’ve heard/seen from beauty and lifestyle YouTubers musings on this topic, that number feels legitimate.
As for advertising, I know for a fact that brands were paying big money to be featured on lifestyle brands websites in the 2010s. Into the Gloss, the brainchild of Emily Weiss, was an extremely popular blog that’s influence was at its peak around the same time as The Tig. That blog was receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars a month from beauty brands to advertise on its site. Again, I have to assume that The Tig was receiving similar offers from brands.
The Tig was shut down in April 2017, with Meghan thanking her readers and assuring them once more, “You, my sweet friend, you are enough.” It was later confirmed in the book Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie that Meghan shut The Tig down “to avoid it being ‘used to fuel false speculation about her personal life with the prince.’”
Meghan’s farewell message to The Tig
The Tig seemed to be a true passion for Meghan, and it’s sad to me that she felt forced to shut it down. But it does make sense from a personal standpoint – I doubt she ever would have had the same time to devote to it after marrying into the Royal Family. Still, I dream of a different timeline where Meghan was allowed and even encouraged to keep the blog and we got a “Tig Talk” with Princess Kate.
A special shoutout to Meghan Maven for having an archive on The Tig!
January 2018 – February 2021: Charity Work & Patronages
As everyone and their grandmother knows, Meghan and Prince Harry announced their engagement in November 2017 and were married on May 19, 2018. Following their engagement, Meghan began to become involved in The Royal Family’s charities. Following their marriage, Queen Elizabeth II named Meghan as a patronage to four UK charities.
Below, I will include a list of the patronages Meghan was a part of and when she left them. This is also when I need to remind you that Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles of “working royals” in January 2020 and moved to Southern California. With these moves, two of Meghan’s patronages reverted back to the crown, while the other two were hers to continue being a part of.
London’s National Theater: Jan. 2019 – Feb. 2021
Association of Commonwealth Universities: Jan. 2019 – Feb. 2021
The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (young entrepreneurs): March 2019 – Feb. 2021
Mayhew (animal welfare): Jan. 2019 – 2022 (left as a private patron)
Smart Works: Jan. 2019 – Current
On top of her patronages, Meghan and Prince Harry were involved in other charities as a couple during this time.
The Royal Foundation: Feb. 2018 – June 2019 (shared foundation with Prince Harry, Prince William, and Princess Catherine)
Sussex Royal: July 2019 – Aug. 2020 (dissolved upon M&H stepping back)
As we can see, Meghan’s interests and passions aligned incredibly well with her patronages. On top of these charities, Meghan went out of her way to assist in other areas during her time as a working royal.
Before their marriage, Meghan joined Prince Harry in supporting the charity Elephants Without Borders, which assisted with conservation efforts taking place in Botswana. In January 2018, Meghan began to spend time in the Hubb Community Kitchen, run by survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire in West London. In September 2018, survivors released Together: Our Community Cookbook, which featured a forward from Meghan. Proceeds from the cookbook were donated to the UK charity Migrateful, which “supports refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants by helping them organize cookery classes.” Additional proceeds were donated to the UK charity Himmah, which supported the “Salaam Shalom Kitchen, the only Muslim and Jewish community kitchen in the UK.” The charities received $10,000 and $13,000, respectively.
The cover of Together: Our Community Cookbook
As we would later learn, Meghan was struggling with her mental health during this time period and did contemplate taking her own life. This was clearly not a time for business and, thankfully for her, she did not need to think about money while being a working member of The Royal Family. But that would soon no longer be the case.
March 2020 – March 2024: Post-Royal Business Ventures & Media Appearances
Since stepping away from their “working royal” status, Prince Harry and Meghan have made both joint and solo business deals together. Their joint business dealings began as early as September 2019, when the couple was reportedly in talks to partner with Quibi (RIP) over a possible role in the service – thankfully, the couple decided against joining the doomed app.
In March 2021, the couple sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a television special titled Oprah with Meghan and Harry. This special seemed to mark a turning point for the couple. A year after leaving The Royal Family as working royals, this interview marked the first occasion where the pair began to speak more openly about their struggles within the institution. Looking back four years later, it’s clear to me that the couple felt they needed to have one of these bombshell interviews (ala the prince’s own parents in the 90s) in order to move forward into the next steps of their new lives as philanthropists and future business owners.
Nearly 50 million people worldwide watched the special. The couple were not producers on the special, but I do believe it’s worthy to note that the special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award that same year.
Streaming was clearly an ambition of the couple. In September 2020, they signed a private commercial deal with Netflix and a multi-year deal with Spotify. Today, the Netflix deal is still active, while the Spotify deal appeared to be DOA. Below, I’ll list the projects the couple has released with each service.
Netflix:
Harry & Meghan (documentary miniseries) – 2022
Live to Lead (documentary miniseries) – 2022
Heart of Invictus (documentary miniseries) – 2023
Polo (documentary miniseries) – 2024
With Love, Meghan (lifestyle series) – 2025
With Love is the first series produced by the couple that is currently scheduled to run for more than one season. The series’ first eight episodes, originally scheduled to be released in January of this year before being delayed after the Southern California Wildfires, was released in March to a mixed reception. According to Netflix, the show reached 12.6 million hours watched in its first week. This sounded pretty good to me until I saw that Deadline reported that the couple’s first documentary miniseries Harry & Meghan reached nearly 100 million hours watched in its first week back in 2022.
Harry & Meghan is the most-viewed documentary-series in Netflix history
The good news for Meghan is that three days after its release, Netflix announced that a second season of eight episodes had already been filmed and will be released this fall. I watched the show and enjoyed it! A standout moment for me was when Meghan gave a gift-wrapping seminar in episode 7. The show, to me, is good, simple fun. It’s Meghan in older sister/mom mode, showing the audience how she makes everyday moments more special. Don’t tell the British media, but I definitely learned a trick or two from the show! It also definitely made me want some homemade jam.
Spotify:
Archetypes – a 12-episode podcast hosted by Meghan in 2022. This show focused on the stereotypes about women conveyed through language. The podcast was canceled by Spotify in 2023.
That’s it!
It’s a bit shocking to me that Harry and Meghan seemed to decide that Meghan would be the face of the couple’s podcast projects. Again, I like Meghan, but many, many people can’t stand her. Podcasting is a fickle industry and it’s surprising to me that the couple would want to be involved with it in the first place. But it’s been a pillar of Archewell Productions business ventures since the beginning. They say on their website that Archewell Productions is “dedicated to illuminating thought-provoking and diverse narratives that underscore our common humanity and celebrate community – through scripted and non-scripted TV, film, documentaries, and podcasting.”
The couple’s Spotify deal ended in 2023 with Archetypes being the sole series released. The couple took a break from podcasting until March 2025 when, once again, Meghan launched a second podcast titled Confessions of a Female Founder. This time, the podcast was released through Lemonada Media. Lemonada also appeared to acquire Archetypes from Spotify, taking the original podcast from a Spotify exclusive to a multi-platform release.
The cover of Meghan’s latest podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder
I have listened to episodes of both Archetypes and Confessions. Both podcasts seem to follow a similar script. Meghan opens the episodes with a story from her adolescence, early career, or, more recently, her business journey that relates to the topic of the episode, she tells us why her guest is the perfect person to help her with this discussion/problem, and then interviews the guest. The intros are a bit theatrical at times, Meghan’s inner actress (or really, her inner theater kid) shining through, but both podcasts are very listenable. I don’t believe I’m the target audience for Confessions – Meghan and her guests talk a lot about being working mothers and juggling family with CEO life, and that’s just not something I deal with or am that interested in hearing about time after time. Archetypes is more my speed, especially as an avid media consumer. Both shows are pretty niche, and I wonder how their numbers have done/are now doing on Lemonada. Podcasting is clearly something that Meghan is determined to master, and I admire her for not backing down from the challenge. If there’s ever a season 2 of Archetypes, I will tune in! Now I’m left wondering if Prince Harry will ever host a show…
March 2024 – Present: As Ever, LLC & The Future of Meghan Sussex
In March 2024, jars of jam appeared in the Instagram stories of SoCal’s most famous members specifically thanking Meghan for sending them. The label on the jars said American Riviera Orchard, which was soon revealed to be Meghan’s upcoming business. According to a report from Forbes in April 2024, “company registration documents revealed plans to create an online retail store selling tableware, cutlery, cookbooks, stationary, party decorations and other similar items.” Originally slated to be released that spring, the brand would soon be faced with trademark and operational challenges. Meghan was unable to secure the trademark for American Riviera Orchard, which she had been attempting to obtain since at least February of 2024. Allegedly, (and despite research, I couldn’t find a clear source for this claim) Meghan was also having issues securing a CEO for the brand before installing herself as CEO.
The brand’s name was eventually changed to As Ever in 2025. The first As Ever products went on sale on April 2, including the famous raspberry spread, flower sprinkles, wildflower honey, three types of tea, and more, with all products selling out within an hour. Products from this launch, particularly the flower sprinkles, were featured throughout the first season of With Love, Meghan. Meghan later revealed in a message to As Ever subscribers that the brand would be releasing new products “seasonally.”
A screenshot from the As Ever website on 4/28/25
And that brings us to today. What does the future hold for Meghan Sussex, the most famous Royal Girl Boss?
It appears that Meghan is back in her influencer era. Shortly after With Love premiered, Meghan launched a ShopMy storefront. Storefronts like these allow celebrities/influencers to link their favorite clothing, beauty items, accessories, etc. for their audiences to shop. The platform itself and the storefront owner make a commission off of each purchase made through their link. I’ve attached a screenshot below from her most recent post on her ShopMy store.
A screenshot from Meghan’s ShopMy from 4/28/25
Honestly, I think this is genius. Whether they love or hate her, people love to search for what Meghan wears or uses. This is a super smart way to make a few dollars back from the online publications that have spent nearly a decade making money off of her wardrobe with their own links. It also brings us back full circle to how Meghan first began to make money off of her own influence by linking to items on The Tig.
Whether or not With Love is renewed after season 2, I believe that Meghan has a strong future with As Ever. Consumable products like food and drinks are bound to create repeat customers. Once some products are available permanently, like the three teas in the original launch, I guarantee her team will create some sort of subscription program to ensure that buyers never run out of their favorite flavor.
Additionally, you have to assume that many non-food items are in the future for the brand. A cookbook seems to be a no-brainer. Pots, pans, mugs, tea towels, aprons, coasters, the list of items she could stamp the As Ever logo on is endless. Some sort of collab between Meghan and one of her favorite brands (Crate & Barrel? Pottery Barn?) has to be in the works for this coming holiday season.
Whether or not any of my predictions come true, Meghan has made a few things clear over the last few months. First, her name is Meghan Sussex, not Meghan Markle. Second, she wants to sprinkle a little joy into everyday moments. Lastly, head to her ShopMy account to shop her favorites. 😉
In the battle of the 2025 Girl Boss, Meghan Sussex could very well turn up on top.
Duke & Duchess of Sussex. “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex | The Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.” Sussex.com, https://sussex.com/meghan-duchess-of-sussex/. Accessed 14 April 2025.
This is a bit of a different post for me. I want to talk about the recent death of Liam Payne and how the internet reacted to it. As someone who didn’t grow up a Directioner, I watched from afar as some fans grieved, while others lashed out. I watched as the general public built conspiracies and raced to TMZ to view the photos of his body. I watched as Instagram comment sections were bombarded.
Our society can, and should do better. If this post is triggering, please don’t feel pressured to stick around. I’ll see you in the next show review or ranking post. 🫶
I believe that nearly everyone has a story about a celebrity death that strongly impacted them. Elvis. John Lennon. Kurt Cobain. Brittany Murphy. No matter your age, no matter how much media you consume, I believe there’s a death you’ve heard about that made you sit down and think.
For me, that death was Cory Monteith. If you don’t know, Monteith played Finn Hudson on Glee. A very tall, very kind, very talented Canadian, Monteith was open about his struggle with addiction for many years. His death was announced in July 2013, when I was 15 years old. I remember laying in bed and crying, playing the Glee cast albums on my iPod. They honored him at that summer’s Teen Choice Awards and the Primetime Emmy Awards. I used to watch those clips and cry well into my teenage years. “The Quarterback” episode of Glee, where they tackle the death of Monteith and, by extension, Finn, is handled with such care. Ryan Murphy is not my favorite person, but that episode is a masterclass in how to write off a character whose actor suddenly passed away.
I loved Glee and that entire cast with my whole being for many years. I will always look back on that season of my life and remember how crushed I was over Monteith’s death. That’s why I have so much empathy for the people out there experiencing grief over a celebrity passing away for the first time with the news of Liam Payne’s death.
If you’re here, I’m certain you already know who Payne was and what happened to him last month. I won’t explain how popular he was, how he weathered many controversies in his final years, or how there were allegations surrounding him right before his death. I want to talk about the fans who loved him and the emotions they’re navigating right now.
I was never really into One Direction growing up, a mistake that I regret now as an adult. I was unfortunately one of those girls who refused to listen to them and instead listened to “real music.” Their peak of popularity overlapped with my peak of internalized misogyny. I wish that I had let myself listen to and enjoy their music. I could have fangirled out with my friends and made more memories. Instead, I made fun of One Direction and, by extension, them. I’m no longer friends with these people, (which probably isn’t surprising) but I wish I could go back in time and apologize for how I treated them.
I was a hypocrite, anyway. When the band released their final album in 2015, I bought it on iTunes. I listened to their discography all the time during my freshman year of college. I was finally on the Directioner train, but the band was over.
I don’t think anyone expected the first member of One Direction to pass away in 2024. The band has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2016. There seemed to be rumblings on social media, mostly TikTok, over the past few months that a reunion performance or tour could be in the works sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, we’ll never know for sure if those rumblings were true.
The collective shock that I watched play out on social media in the wake of Payne’s death tugged at my heart. Grown women were pulled back into their youth, remembering how much those five boys meant to them. There were tears, immediate analyses, and a sense of community between Directioners, new and old. But, of course, there was some controversy.
In today’s day and age, with a 24/7 news cycle, people seem to want the beginning, middle, and end of a story immediately. This instinct isn’t always at the fault of the consumer. We’ve become used to getting all of the details of a story as soon as possible. But with entertainment news, there’s a disturbing pattern of entitlement coming from consumers.
Liam Payne died? How? When? Why? What did his girlfriend say? What did his former bandmates say? What did Cheryl Cole say? How is his son? Where are the One Direction boys right now? How did they react to the news? TMZ posted photos of his body, did you see them?
The comment sections of Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomilson’s Instagram accounts were immediately flooded. These comments ranged from prayers to statements of grief, declarations of love, and accusations of blame. Yes, there were people out there who were angry at the remaining members of the band. These people seemed to save most of their vitriol for Horan, who was the last band member documented with Payne at his concert 2 weeks before Payne’s death.
We expect loved ones or people close to a subject to release statements immediately after news of a death, divorce, or tragedy. This expectation is not only wrong but can border on being inhumane. People deserve space and time to grieve, heal, or process the news before sharing their deepest thoughts with millions of people.
I don’t know who these people were in the comment sections demanding answers or statements from Payne’s loved ones. They could be young people, feeling confused and airing their emotions publicly. They could be obsessive fans who blur the line between passion and mania. Or, they could be trolls who deliberately poke at people to get reactions and feed their egos. What I do know is that this behavior is unacceptable.
Would you go up to someone you knew in real life and demand to know the details of how their brother passed away? Would you interrogate someone over their reaction to their grandmother’s death? Would you ask to see the photos from a car crash that killed your friend’s boyfriend? I don’t think you would. So why are we asking for these details surrounding the death of someone we never met?
Thankfully, I know that there’s only a small part of society asking these sorts of questions and acting out publicly in comment sections. But we all know that one negative comment can overshadow 100 positive comments. I desperately hope that someone on Horan’s team was able to shield him from seeing any of the angry comments left on his Instagram account, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did see a few.
I’m grateful that when Monteith died, I didn’t race to Twitter and demand his girlfriend, Lea Michele, release a statement. She deserved to make a statement when (or if!) she wanted to.
When it comes to the recent phenomenon of people declaring that “we don’t owe each other anything,” as a society or a culture, I have to disagree. I do think we owe each other something.
In the case of Payne’s death, we owe each other more than this. We owe each other decency.
As Harry Styles would say, TPWK. Treat People With Kindness. It costs you nothing, but it could be worth everything.
poptalkwithrach 