Two weeks ago, the Daily Mail launched an absurd storyline about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, mostly Meghan. The storyline was that Meghan “spiraling badly” because “nothing is working.” Sources swore that everyone in Hollywood hates Meghan, and everyone in Montecito hates Meghan, and Anna Wintour hates Meghan for good measure too! The Mail piece read like a Deranger fever dream, so obviously, Tom Sykes piled on with his own exclusive. He claimed that Meghan has “burned bridges” everywhere, in every industry. Sykes dropped in this bizarre piece of gossip too: “And a kitchen that, I’m told by someone who lives near them in Montecito, looks like it’s straight out of an Olive Garden circa 1994 cos they can’t afford to remodel.” This is the level of bitch-eating-crackers tantruming from the royalist media: they’re defaming Meghan’s kitchen because they’re so mad that she lives peacefully in her Montecito mansion, selling her jam and minding her business. Well, if that wasn’t enough, Sykes was apparently ranting about the kitchen on his podcast:

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are living the “American dream” with their sprawling Montecito mansion complete with seven acres of stunning grounds. The royal couple have had nothing but praise for their idyllic pad, which they share with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, however, their neighbours are not of the same opinion.

Speaking in his The Royalist podcast, journalist Tom Sykes revealed: “I was in New York last week, and I was meeting with somebody who lives fairly near them, and they said to me that that house that they occupy in Montecito is like a source of laughing stock.”

“It’s kind of shameful because, of course, in America, if you’re a billionaire and you buy a house for $14 million, I mean, what’s the first thing you do? Knock it down, you know, or at the very least remodel it, you know?

“And there they are, still sort of padding around in a kitchen that looks straight out of the Olive Garden, you know, circa 1994.”

The neighbour isn’t wrong, as it is very commonplace for high-profile people like celebrities to acquire a mansion and flatten it to create their own version of perfection. We’ve seen A-list stars like Kanye West and Chris Pratt do exactly that. So, Harry and Meghan going against the grain has ruffled feathers, but that doesn’t make it wrong…

Contrastingly, in the UK, swathes of people are seeking to preserve the history of their homes, keeping original fireplaces and unearthing amazing period features. Granted, the Sussexes’ home isn’t historic, having only been built in 2003, but perhaps retaining existing structures and the intended design should be celebrated? The property has been designed to look like a rustic chateau and that aesthetic fits in perfectly with Meghan’s wholesome lifestyle brand, As Ever.

[From Hello via Yahoo]

Yeah… it’s more than possible that Meghan just… likes her kitchen. It looks cozy and warm. Is the “rustic Italian” thing out of style? Sure, but look at what’s in style for kitchens these days – all of those white cabinets and marble and subway tiles. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, which is just my point – it’s not some kind of wealth-signifier or elitism-signifier to have a modern all-white kitchen or a rustic Italian kitchen. It’s just a matter of personal taste. Incidentally, there was a rumor recently that the Sussexes stayed with Ted Sarandos and Nicole Avant because the Sussexes were remodeling! But even then, I suspect that Meghan probably doesn’t want to rip out her kitchen – it’s not the cost, it’s the time. Plus, she’s using that space for her As Ever photoshoots anyway.

Photos courtesy of As Ever’s Instagram and Meghan’s Instagram.