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Duchess Meghan was connected to celebrity colorist Kadi Lee in 2020, after Meghan had underwhelming results when trying out boxed dye during lockdown. She can make jam, keep bees, and has mastered the art of calligraphy, but the boxed dye stymied Mrs. Sussex. Hey, we can’t be good at everything! Anyway, we learned this whole backstory last November when Meghan celebrated the launch of Kadi’s Highbrow Hippie haircare line, another woman-run business Meghan invested in. At the time, Meghan said of Kadi: “I am so proud to invest in her as a friend and as a female founder.” That was well before we knew that Meghan’s Lemonada podcast would be released in April and called Confessions of a Female Founder, or that Kadi would appear on the pod. During that April 22 episode, Meghan again brought up her inglorious brush with boxed dye, calling her coloring attempt “very inky, almost Elvira-esque black.” Well, it’s taken a month, but Cassandra Peterson, the real Elvira herself, caught wind of the comment and issued a response to Meg on Instagram:
Cassandra Peterson, the actress behind the iconic Elvira character, playfully weighed in after Meghan joked about an at-home dye fail that left her looking “almost Elvira-esque” during the pandemic.
The Duchess of Sussex shared the anecdote on a recent episode of her podcast Confessions of a Female Founder, recalling how a DIY hair job in 2020 turned her locks “very inky, almost Elvira-esque black.”
“Hey princess, if you ever need beauty advice from a queen just let me know,” Peterson wrote in a post on Instagram under the handle @therealelvira.
Peterson, 73, posted a screenshot of the article to her Instagram alongside a signature glam shot of her in full character as the Mistress of the Dark.
On her podcast, Meghan said that the hair mishap ultimately led her to connect with her current colorist — and close friend — Kadi Lee.
The Duchess of Sussex shared that she met Lee through hair stylist Serge Normant, who styled her tresses for her 2018 royal wedding to Prince Harry.
“He and I became friends after he did my hair for my wedding,” Meghan said about Normant. “So my family had just moved to California. We were staying in our friend’s home. And because it was the pandemic, I kept ordering boxed hair dye. And I thought, ‘I’m gonna look just like she does on the box.’”
However, the DIY style didn’t quite turn out like she imagined!
“Instead, it was this very inky, almost Elvira-esque black hair,” Meghan said in a relatable revelation. “And I texted Serge, and he said ‘You need to see Kadi.’ And you came over. I mean, we were masked and all the things. It was such an interesting time, but I remember that day so well.”
People will read this clapback from Cassandra in all sorts of ways (and they certainly are in the comments to the post), but my take is that it is all playful and in good faith. Cassandra saw an opening and took it! What’s the worst that could happen? Either Cassandra continues her life as someone who has never had any direct contact with Meghan Sussex. Or, what I think would be the smarter move, Meghan reaches out in some way. Sends her a jar of honey, some bewitching bath salts, or invites her over to make a snazzy video of unloading a Tesla. There’s opportunity here for a moment that would be PR gold for both ladies, is what I’m saying! Kind of like the way Meg and Gwyneth Paltrow deftly quashed those feud rumors.
As for tress maintenance, I’m trying to think back into the murky void of that first year of the pandemic, to remember when I started getting my hair cut/colored again. I definitely stretched out the visits longer than usual, and went to a hole-in-the-wall, struggling salon I had stumbled upon near my friend’s apartment, where I was staying to take care of his rabbit (and no, that isn’t a euphemism for anything). Everyone was masked the whole time (including myself), and the place was always sparsely attended (I was usually the only client there). I felt we were all taking safety precautions, and my heart went out to the small business. Happy to report that the salon is still open. The rabbit, sadly, is no longer with us.
Photos credit: IMAGO/Moritz Mueller/Avalon, IMAGO/Kadir Ilboga/Avalon, IMAGO/Christoph Hardt/Avalon, Getty and via Instagram
Aw, condolences for the rabbit. That was a cute response from Elvira, a goth-queen. Meghan should consider this a hint for a Halloween costume this year.
It was cute, and I honestly took it as a little snark against the british royalty — queens in the US earn their due!!
Yeah it was perfect. And Elvira doesn’t dye her hair. She wears a wig. She’s absolutely in on the joke.
People need to calm down. It was a joke!
Sometimes I think people are just looking for a reason to be upset.
Elvira wasn’t “clapping back” and Meghan said nothing wrong.
She just said her hair went inky black & it didn’t suit her, which it wouldn’t.
Manufactured outrage. Meghan can’t even share a story about her own hair anymore.
I had to go back and re-read that it was even considered a “clap-back” bc it clearly wasn’t meant as mean. It was cute. Were people calling it that in the People mag comments or something?
Yeah I think it was good-spirited and joking all around. there is no beef between meghan and elvira lol.
Yeah snarky bitchiness but not real bitchiness is totally Elvira’s brand. I have been following her since she was doing USA up all night. This was clearly her being jokey, but the BM HAS to have everyone hate Meghan. And the people in the comments who think she hates her is because they do and they need to be validated.
As an aside if you have a chance read her autobiography. She has had a very interesting life.
Hahaha, I thought it was funny and all in good fun. Agree that Elvira should be on Meghan’s list for a gift basket, she’s an American institution. Good for Elvira for still rocking it! In the words of Michelle Yeoh “Never let someone tell you you’re past your prime.”
I stopped coloring my hair during the pandemic and never looked back. I’m lucky in that my gray is coming in nicely (thanks Mom!) and I don’t have to do anything special except Olaplex once a month. Stopping coloring stopped a lot of the breakage and I was more than happy to direct my beauty budget toward other things…
It wasn’t a clapback meant in a cruel snarky way. Interactions like this used to be what made social media fun. Anyone who would donate their Tesla to NPR isn’t a bad egg joining the constant Meghan pile-up for 15 minutes of rota infamy. Growing up in California Meghan probably has a soft spot for Elvira. I hope she sends her some swag. I have adored Elvira since I was a kid. (I remember her appearing on CHiPs, lol). We need more sassy women with their t!ts out giving the dumb male f#cks a run for their money. Soooo many white women her age went down the magat rabbithole it thrilled me when she unloaded the Tesla. Also. Cassandra Peterson has had an interesting life. Her autobiography is a great read.
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Meghan dressed up as Elvira for Halloween as a kid. I don’t think either party meant shade & tabloids as usual just looking for a nasty angle when it comes to Meghan.
Thanks for the memoir recommendation! I just checked out the audiobook version of her memoir, which she narrated!
Jet black hair looks the WORSE on me too…so I OVERSTAND! 😱 I think it was a Kewt 😍 stance from Elvira
Elvira’s beauty advice would be “wear a wig,” because that what’s on her head. But it’s a cute comment.
I know, she was in the Pee-wee Herman documentary, and I had no idea she looked so different in real life! The whole thing is kind of dumb since the Elvira hair is fake and that kind of proves the point that Meghan was making.
It’s funny because it’s a wig, Cassandra Peterson hair color is auburn. Her black hair is iconic. If anyone just saw the wig they would know exactly who it was. Elvira was not clapping back she was being her hilarious self.
And lord knows I have had mishaps with box dye. About 10 years ago. I chose a brown color and it came out inky black. A $10 box of dye. Cost me over $200+ to get it lifted out of my hair at the salon with several treatments. I should have just shaved it all off and started over lol.
I stick with Madison Reed products now, it gives me the same look as the salon for 1/4 the price. I just can’t accept going full grey yet.
Cassandra/Elvira does a great interview! Just sayin’ 😃
I don’t think Cassandra Peterson took Meghan’s comment literally! Elvira was a character she created and when you google Cassandra Peterson, that crazy black hairstyle she sported was definitely a wig (I hope anyways). In real life, it looks like she is a curly redhead or maybe it was a perm, who knows. But she’s got red hair and she looks WAY better with her natural hair than that horrible black spiky haircut as Elvira.
It seemed light-hearted to me. Plus Elvira wears a wig so I’m sure no offensive was taken.
Another potential guest for WLM. That would be great. Halloween special maybe.
That would be really fun.
🎯
Oh yes the Covid lockdown. I was lucky my hair stylist provided me with the hair color and instructions on how to mix it the right way. She face timed me to help get the stuff mixed and applied. I did it twice before lockdown was over and was thankful for her help. She didn’t want to have to correct my hair if I used a store bought hair dye so when I went back in person it was just like normal.
Do haters have no sense of humour? Obviously Meghan was referring to a “character” and Elvira’s riposte was funny and witty. LOL would be a normal response. A gift basket from Meghan would be hilarious and give everyone a good chuckle. Hope Meghan does it.