Meghan Markle Accused of Lying About Her California Upbringing During ‘MasterChef’ Appearance: ‘Her Story Changes According to Her Needs’
Meghan Markle may have been caught in a lie while discussing her childhood eating habits.
The duchess, 44, appeared as a guest judge on the July 26 episode of MasterChef Australia and painted a fresh, vibrant picture of the food she ate while being raised in California.
“I grew up in California and so, as you know, we have incredible produce, so you just start to love farm-to-table at an early age,” she told judges and contestants.
She referred to her mother, Doria Ragland, as an “incredible cook.”
“Food and cooking are how I show my nurturing and love for my friends, family and my kids,” she said.
Meghan Markle Painted a Different Picture of Her Childhood
However, the former actress painted a very different picture on her Netflix show With, Love Meghan, She Knows reported.
“I was a latchkey kid,” Meghan explained on a 2025 episode of the homemaking series. “I grew up with a lot of fast food and also a lot of TV-tray dinners.”
In her recent MasterChef appearance, the mom-of-two claimed to have watched “so many cooking shows” when she was a child, though she previously shared that microwaved meals were “normal” during her upbringing with a single mother.
“I used to eat a lot of Pollo Loco, Taco Bell… Jack In The Box, because my mom loved their tacos,” she spilled.
Social Media Reacts
Social media users caught on to her conflicting memories, and while some admitted two things could be true, others weren’t totally sold on Meghan’s story.
“Her story changes according to needs, and as long as it serves her narrative, it doesn’t matter to her. She thinks the public is stoooopid, I guess,” one person said.
“This woman lies so much, she doesn’t know when she is telling the truth, if she ever does,” another added.
“She’s such a liar. Everything out of her mouth is plagiarized or an outright lie,” a third claimed.
Fans rallied around Meghan, turning the tide of criticism into a chorus of support. When a garden‑haul Instagram post sparked accusations that she was “lying” about growing out‑of‑season vegetables, defenders flooded the comments, calling the claims “sickening,” “cruel,” and a clear example of misogynoir. Similarly, after a pregnancy‑dance video was mocked, friends and fans shouted back, denouncing the “ridiculous lies” as a harassment campaign and highlighting the emotional toll of relentless trolling. Across each controversy, supporters framed the backlash as body‑shaming and an unfair policing of her choices, insisting that the Duchess’s authenticity deserved respect rather than scorn.
Inside Meghan Markle’s ‘MasterChef’ Drama
Page Six reported that this wasn’t the only drama Meghan started on set, as the duchess was reportedly “upset” after Judge Poh Ling Yeow introduced her.
“We’ve had MasterChef royalty in the kitchen before, but no one like this,” Yeow said in a promotional clip. “All the way from sunny California, please welcome to MasterChef Australia … the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle!”
Yeow, referring to Meghan as “royalty” despite the mom-of-two leaving her royal duties behind in 2020, allegedly left her “very frustrated.” Her feelings, in turn, reportedly upset the judge.
“It wasn’t about Meghan personally,” an insider claimed. “Poh felt she had been unintentionally drawn into a royal protocol issue she never intended to be part of.”
Contestants on the show were asked to make Meghan a “dish fit for a duchess,” though GB News reported she asked not to be referred to by her royal title while on set.
When Yeow asked if they should call her “duchess,” she firmly requested to be called “Meghan” instead.
The Suits alum filmed the episode while she and Prince Harry were visiting Australia in April for a series of public speaking engagements.
