Dolly Parton Reportedly Passed When Asked to Appear on Meghan Markle’s Netflix Series

Dolly Parton allegedly passed on an opportunity to appear in Meghan Markle’s Netflix series With Love, Meghan, citing concerns over the potential impact on her public image.

“Her team was livid,” Kinsey Schofield, an online commentator, said during an appearance on the The Nerve with Maureen Callahan podcast. “They don’t want to risk Dolly’s reputation, Q score, [or] her popularity by associating with Meghan Markle.”

Schofield suggested the invitation to appear on With Love, Meghan was a strategic move by Markle. “They knew this ask was just to give Meghan Markle credibility in this lifestyle space, a space that Dolly does have a lot of credibility in,” she said.

The country icon, 79, has successfully expanded her brand beyond music into food and beauty by releasing baking mixes, hair products, and more.

Schofield emphasized Parton’s mass appeal and versatility, explaining: “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.”

According to Schofield, Parton’s team felt Markle was trying to “take advantage” of the singer’s enduring popularity. Callahan, the podcast’s host, took it a step further, calling a potential Parton-Markle collaboration “a spontaneous combustion of good versus evil.”

“She’s authentic,” Callahan said of Parton, while referring to Markle as “a fake royal” in “a fake kitchen.”

When Star asked Meghan’s production team for comment, a spokesperson denied Schofield’s claim, adding: “At no point did anybody from the show’s production or Netflix approach Dolly Parton or her team to appear on With Love, Meghan. Representatives for Parton did not respond to requests for comment.

With Love, Meghan has featured several celebrity guests, including Mindy Kaling and Abigail Spencer.

Spencer — Markle’s former Suits costar and longtime friend — has been vocal in her defense, telling Page Six that Markle is “the most glorious human being on the planet.”

Markle, 43, recently launched the As Ever lifestyle brand and the podcast Confessions of a Female Founder. On a recent episode, she revealed the challenges of entrepreneurship, saying she has felt “incredibly lonely” at times.

Markle’s latest business ventures have signaled a shift toward building her personal brand outside of the royal sphere. As Ever has been pitched as a modern, wellness-driven label offering home, kitchen, and self-care products, while her podcast aims to spotlight the realities of female entrepreneurship.