Serena Williams Unboxing Sparks As Ever Backlash
Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, has become the centre of fresh online debate after Ms Serena Williams shared a casual “unboxing” video of products she said were sent to her by the Duchess of Sussex. The clip, posted to social media and widely reshared, prompted some viewers to accuse the former tennis champion of undermining the brand’s image.
In the video, Ms Williams shows a box of As Ever chocolates that appears partly eaten and jokes about having “botched it”, laughing as she compares her approach to her friend’s “classy” style. Express reported that Ms Williams also featured two candles described as being inspired by Meghan’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, while admitting she could not pronounce some of the scent notes.
Ms Williams is heard thanking Meghan and telling her she loves her at the end of the clip, but the video drew a wave of critical comments on X, where some users called it a “shady” endorsement and objected to the informal presentation, including her speaking while eating.
The reaction lands as As Ever continues to draw scrutiny online, including over product branding choices such as the names of its candles and how they are perceived by royal-watchers.
Neither Meghan nor Ms Williams has responded publicly to the trolling claims, but the episode highlights how celebrity promotion can backfire when audiences feel the tone does not match a brand’s intended image.
