A fashion queen’s triumph crushes a duchess’s dream—karma at its finest? 😏
Fresh off a sold-out Paris runway, Victoria Beckham seals a blockbuster Netflix docuseries while Meghan’s “lifestyle” flop gathers dust at #383. Whispers of jealousy, old wedding dress feuds, and a Sussex deal on life support—did Posh Spice just steal the spotlight for good?
The receipts are savage, and the shade is real. Who’s winning the reinvention game now? Click for the full takedown that’s got Hollywood buzzing. 👇
In the cutthroat arena where celebrity reinventions collide, few spectacles rival the spectacle of two former icons duking it out for Netflix supremacy. Enter Victoria Beckham, the erstwhile Posh Spice turned fashion titan, whose upcoming docuseries is already generating Oscar-level buzz just days ahead of its October 9 premiere. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in Montecito, Meghan Markle—the Duchess of Sussex and self-proclaimed lifestyle guru—is licking wounds from her latest misfire: the second season of With Love, Meghan, which has cratered out of Netflix’s global Top 10 faster than a bad blind date. As Beckham’s project rides a wave of pre-release hype, insiders whisper of a delicious irony: the woman once snubbed over a wedding dress is now outshining the duchess in the very industry Markle desperately wants to conquer. With the Sussexes’ $100 million Netflix pact teetering on renewal talks, this clash isn’t just about viewership—it’s a referendum on relevance, resilience, and who truly wears the crown of reinvention.
The timing couldn’t be more poetic—or painful for Team Sussex. Beckham’s three-part series, simply titled Victoria Beckham, drops Thursday, chronicling her evolution from ’90s pop provocateur to haute couture heavyweight. Directed by Nadia Hallgren (Becoming) and produced by David Beckham’s Studio 99—the same outfit behind his 2023 Emmy-winning smash—it’s poised to dissect her empire-building amid preparations for Paris Fashion Week. Trailers tease intimate confessions: “People thought I was that miserable cow that never smiled,” Beckham quips, flashing her signature poker face before cracking a rare grin. Cameos from fashion royalty like Anna Wintour, Tom Ford, and Roland Mouret promise insider scoops on her battles with the industry’s gatekeepers, while husband David and pals like Eva Longoria add personal flavor. Netflix’s Tudum site hails it as a “front-row seat” to resilience and self-discovery, with the streamer’s marketing machine already pushing it as a spiritual successor to David’s juggernaut, which racked up 711.8 million minutes viewed in its first week alone.
Contrast that with Markle’s With Love, Meghan, a glossy cooking-and-chatting vehicle that’s become shorthand for Sussex struggles. Season 2, dropping August 26 with guests like Chrissy Teigen and Tan France, was pre-hyped as a comeback for Archewell Productions. Instead, it debuted at a tepid #73 globally, plummeted to #98 by day three, and vanished from the Top 200 by week’s end. Netflix’s semi-annual “What We Watched” report for January-June 2025 buried Season 1 at #383 with a measly 5.3 million views—outpaced by reruns of Markle’s old Suits episodes from over a decade ago. Critics were merciless: The Independent branded it “gaslit by a multimillionaire,” with half-baked recipes and forced folksiness; The Guardian called it a “gormless lifestyle filler” that might spell the end of the Sussexes’ streaming era. On X, the schadenfreude flowed: @QLoTII crowed, “Meghan Markle is a Failure,” tallying 591 likes as fans mocked unsold “As Ever” merch tied to the show.
The humiliation stings deeper given the women’s tangled history. Flash back to 2018: Newly minted Duchess Meghan reportedly sought a custom gown from Beckham’s atelier for a high-profile event, only to be rebuffed. Sources claimed Victoria, wary of the “yachting” rumors swirling around Markle’s pre-Harry days, declined—prompting Meghan to pivot to an off-the-rack number and allegedly ice the Beckhams out of the royal wedding guest list. Fast-forward to 2025, and the grudge lingers. As Beckham’s doc teases her fashion ascent, X users like @MariaLevy164288 speculate Markle’s eyeing a Beckham-style pivot: “She has now abandoned As Ever and now going into fashion to challenge Victoria Beckham who she hates.” Royal tea-spillers on Reddit’s r/RoyalsGossip thread the snub as “karma,” with one post racking 404 upvotes: “Victoria’s success in Fashion, her relationship with the RF and her success on Netflix” leaves Markle in the dust.
For Beckham, 51, this is vindication after decades of skepticism. From Spice Girls sneers (“Who does she think she is?”) to early label flops, she’s clawed to profitability—her brand turned EBITDA positive in 2022, per Bloomberg. David’s Netflix coup, netting an estimated £20 million deal, convinced her to bare it all, despite initial reluctance: “It wasn’t the easiest thing to get her to agree to,” he admitted. Now, with a combined £500 million fortune per the Sunday Times Rich List, the Beckhams embody the blended-family dynasty Markle aspires to—sans the scandals. Victoria’s doc, fronted by Vogue’s Wintour, spotlights her “unstoppable” ethos; X’s @Katsbigopinion2 gushed, “She was the only name to be constantly thrown up as Anna Wintour replacement,” earning 1,348 likes.
Markle, 44, faces a steeper climb. Her Archewell-Netflix pact, inked in 2020 amid Megxit mania, has yielded duds: Harry & Meghan peaked at 1.3 million views in early 2025 (down from its debut splash), while Heart of Invictus and Harry’s polo doc limped to obscurity. Spotify axed their podcast in 2023 after one season; As Ever—meant to hawk jams and sprinkles via With Love product placement—sits unsold, per brand watcher Ede. PR guru Renae Smith told Express: “Doomed from the start… out of touch and inauthentic.” Even Thomas Markle Sr. piled on, slamming her name-drop for “Sussex.” X’s @duchess_salty tallied the descent: “Day 1 = ranked 73… Day 4 = ranked 118. Meghan Markle FAILED!”—4 likes and counting.
Netflix’s calculus adds intrigue. The Sussex renewal, reportedly slashed to a $2.5 million first-look deal, hinges on hits—but execs are hedging with Beckham. Ted Sarandos praised Markle’s “influence” in a podcast, eyeing a Harry-led Diana doc as “ghoulish but huge,” yet insiders tell Forbes the flop has bosses “worried.” Brand expert Eric Schiffer dubbed her the “Duchess of Flops,” warning: “Not a recipe to rebuild her reputation.” On Quora, users dissect the gap: Beckham’s authenticity vs. Markle’s “exercise in narcissism.”
Public schadenfreude splits predictably. Sussex stans on X defend: @theroyaleditor sniped, “Ignore the lies… it was the most watched show of the year,” citing a lawyer’s slip. Detractors revel: @Marly21036678’s YouTube takedown of Season 2 dubbing “flubs” drew cheers. Reddit’s r/RoyalsGossip erupted: “Netflix should terminate… produce a documentary with the Sussex Survivors Club.” Fashion forums buzz with Beckham envy: @Jacky___P noted Markle’s Paris pop-in as a “jealous” counter to Victoria’s front-row glow.
Legal and legacy ripples loom. Markle’s trademarks—The Tig redux, American Riviera Orchard—face endless challenges, echoing her bullying probe’s unresolved shadow. Beckham, knighted via David, sails smoother: Her brand’s profitability contrasts Archewell’s donor droughts. As Variety notes, the Sussexes’ “first-look” downgrade signals caution—while Beckham’s sequel cements the power couple’s hold.
Hollywood’s verdict? Reinvention rewards grit, not grievances. Beckham, once the “miserable cow,” emerges as the unapologetic boss—smashing plates in her atelier like barriers in boardrooms. Markle, peddling pretzels from bags, risks fading to footnote. As X’s @CeeBee_CeeBee quipped: “We’ll be supporting Lady Victoria Beckham… much more honest & real.” With Paris lights beckoning Beckham and Montecito shadows lengthening for Meghan, one truth endures: In the streaming stakes, style—and substance—wins. The duchess’s flop isn’t just a ratings dud; it’s a mirror to a myth unraveling, one unsold jar at a time.