Meghan Markle Could Be Eyeing Deal With Infomercial Guru Bill Guthy, Who Made Cindy Crawford $200 Million
Meghan Markle’s quest for financial independence could take a very commercial—or infomercial—new direction, with a cosmetics guru who made J Lo, Heidi Klum and others even richer.
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Sarah Ferguson famously sold juicers on QVC, and now there are hints that Meghan Markle could be planning to push royal commercialism to dizzying new heights and launch her own makeup line with the firm behind the wildly successful lines of Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Kelly Clarkson, and Heidi Klum.
The Daily Mail has published pictures showing that Meghan made a series of visits to the home of Guthy-Renker co-founder Bill Guthy this year.
These newly published images have added to speculation that Meghan and Prince Harry may be getting involved commercially with Guthy. Rumors of a potential tie-up began to circulate after the private jet that flew the Sussexes back to California after their tour of New York was traced to the cosmetics and infomercial company.
The Mail says the couple “were spotted driving in and out of the Guthy ranch in Carpinteria, California, several times between February and March this year.”
The paper also claims to have evidence that Meghan’s mother, Doria, accompanied the couple on at least one of their visits to the Guthy home. The outlet says the Sussexes were seen driving out of the property with Doria in the backseat of their vehicle on March 1.
The report adds that Guthy’s home in Carpinteria may have been the location the couple used for their sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, saying that satellite images of Guthy’s property suggest it has a stone courtyard that could match the bucolic setting used for the interview.
Guthy, 66, has amassed a fortune estimated at more than $500 million through his infomercial business. But it has often been embroiled in controversy.
One of the brands Guthy-Renker marketed, Wen, paid out more than $26 million in one class-action lawsuit claiming its shampoos allegedly caused customers to lose hair.
Among its biggest successes is the collaboration with Cindy Crawford’s skincare line, Meaningful Beauty. Crawford, who owns 50 percent of the $400 million brand, has a fortune now estimated at some $225 million, in large part thanks to the direct-marketed line.
Crawford is widely viewed as a pioneer in the field, with a recent Forbes profile noting, “Her fortune is worth $225 million, thanks to her ability to perfect a direct-to-consumer beauty model that has since been repurposed by the likes of Kylie Jenner and Rihanna.”