Meghan Markle Accused of Trying to ‘Take Advantage of’ Dolly Parton’s Popularity for Her Netflix Show

Dolly Parton reportedly snubbed Meghan Markle by turning down an appearance to appear on the Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, Page Six reports.

“Her team was livid,” celebrity commentator Kinsey Schofield alleged on an appearance on The Nerve with Maureen Callahan.

“Because no, they don’t want to risk Dolly’s reputation Q score [and] her popularity by associating with Meghan Markle,” she added. “They knew that this ask was just to give Meghan Markle credibility in this lifestyle space, a space that Dolly does have a lot of credibility in.”

Parton has her own popular lifestyle blueprint in the baking space. “Dolly is not only incredibly popular and loved by the general public, but she also is somebody who can float around within these different places,” she added. “Her team really feels like Meghan was trying to take advantage of her popularity,” Schofield alleged.

Callahan described Parton as “authentic,” noting the appearance would have been “spontaneous combustion of good versus evil” if she agreed to appear alongside “a fake royal” in her “fake kitchen.”

But Netflix’s production tells a different story, with a source telling the outlet, “This story is false. At no point did anybody from the show’s production or Netflix approach Dolly Parton or her team to appear on ‘With Love, Meghan.’”

With Love, Meghan premiered in March. It’s already been renewed for a second season.

Meghan’s celebrity friends, including Mindy Kaling and Abigail Spencer, have appeared on the show. She also rebranded her company, renaming it As Ever.

Meghan has spoken about her love of the show and the lifestyle space. In an interview with PEOPLE, she spoke about working on set. “It feels as though we’re just spending time together, which is what it ended up being,” she says of the crew’s presence on the series. “I’d make a recipe and say, ‘Everyone try this,’ and there are certain dishes where you just watch everyone flock in. I’d say, ‘We’ve run out of spoons!’ It ended up feeling so communal, and that’s the spirit of the show.”