Back in March, Meghan Markle got her fans on the edge of their seats when she announced her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. But now, over five months later, the brand has yet to be released, let alone announced a release date.
In fact, since the title announcement, Markle’s brand has done only two things: released its two first products. In April, Markle’s A-list friends got a jar of ARO’s strawberry jam that was so exclusive that the batch was limited to 50 jars. Among the recipients were Tracee Ellis Ross, Chrissy Teigen, Mindy Kaling, Kris Jenner and Prince Harry’s best friend Nacho Figueras. In June, Markle handed out another limited batch of jams, this time with raspberries.
But while the releases were exciting, and gave a glimpse of what’s to come from Markle’s passion project, it had fans begging the question: “What’s taking so long to officially release it?”
Well, according to new sources, ARO is having some major staffing struggles, including a whopping 18 employees quitting their jobs.
“The numbers don’t lie and to have almost 20 members of staff quitting on them tells its own story,” a source revealed to Closer Online. “It’s unprecedented, even for a start-up.”
Per the source, Markle’s managerial skills just haven’t been working out. “The brutal reality is that Harry and Meghan are the toughest of taskmasters, they’re very demanding and difficult to work for and that puts a lot of people’s backs up,” the source said.
“Obviously the royals are well aware of this news and it comes as no surprise to the likes of King Charles, Prince William and other members of The Firm,” the source said of the Sussexes. “The consensus is that Harry and Meghan are reaping what they’ve sewn for themselves, and it’s a classic case of karma catching up with them.”
During their time as working senior royals, Markle famously denied bullying allegations from her staff.
In addition to struggling to keep employees, Markle’s brand has one major issue: they have yet to hire a CEO. Per the source, she’s been “struggling” to find someone who could fit the bill.
With no CEO and a staff that is leaving left and right, it’s no wonder that Markle is holding off on releasing her brand right now.
Nevertheless, sources recently told Us Weekly how passionate Markle still is with the project. “[ARO] will likely be very much in line with who Meghan is as a person,” a source told the outlet. “She loves hosting events, and she’s very thoughtful about how she treats her guests whenever they come over.” Looks like we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see it all come to life.
Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s milestones since leaving the royal family.
