Country music icon Dolly Parton’s team reportedly turned down an invitation for Parton to appear on Meghan Markle’s Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, leading to reports that Parton’s camp was very unhappy about the request. According to entertainment insiders, Parton’s team was “furious” at the ask, worried that working with Markle might harm Parton’s long-standing public image and brand.
As reported by Page Six, Markle’s lifestyle series, which premiered in March 2025, includes eight episodes, each featuring different guests. The first season had appearances from Markle’s former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer and actress Mindy Kaling. While the show has been picked up for a second season, with rumors of a third, reviews have been mixed.
Celebrity commentator Kinsey Schofield claimed on a recent podcast appearance of The Nerve with Maureen Callahan that “[Dolly’s] team was livid. “Because no, they don’t want to risk Dolly’s reputation Q score [and] her popularity by associating with Meghan Markle.”
Dolly Parton snubbed Meghan Markle
Despite the positive account from the crew, Parton’s reported refusal shows a very different take on Markle’s public reputation. The decision to say no came from worries that linking Parton’s brand with Markle’s could hurt Parton’s standing. Parton has built a career over many decades on family-friendly values, charity work, and a strong, consistent image.
Her many business projects, from her Imagination Library to different product lines, all reflect this carefully maintained identity, which is tied to being genuine and relatable. Parton’s team reportedly thought Markle’s invitation was mainly a way to boost the credibility of her lifestyle show by using Parton’s well-known reputation and broad appeal in the lifestyle world. This apparent attempt to take advantage of Parton’s fame made the reaction even more negative.
Schofield continued, “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… 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.
This situation comes as Markle is working on several new business efforts, including her As Ever lifestyle brand and her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast. While these projects show Markle’s drive as an entrepreneur, they’ve also faced criticism and sparked different opinions about her goals and methods. Combined with the mixed reviews for With Love, Meghan, this likely made Parton’s team hesitant.
The concern wasn’t necessarily about Markle herself but about the possible harm to Parton’s carefully built image and the risk of being tied to someone whose public reputation is often debated.
