Meghan Markle — once a C-list actress and now widely recognized as the outspoken spouse of Prince Harry — is facing accusations that she failed to return a nearly $1,700 designer gown she wore during a 2022 magazine photo shoot.
The claims resurfaced after Markle appeared wearing the emerald-green, one-shoulder Galvan dress in her newest Netflix special.
According to a source quoted by Page Six, Markle “took the dress from the shoot without asking.”
Meghan Markle may have stolen the $1,695 dress she’s wearing in new Netflix promo https://t.co/TcIHH6o2qA pic.twitter.com/Rp47g3V6g4
— New York Post (@nypost) November 22, 2025
She originally wore the gown for a Variety magazine cover shoot three years ago, and reports suggest this isn’t the first time she has held onto high-end clothing provided for professional use. In 2024, Vanity Fair contributing writer Vanessa Grigoriadis remarked that Markle did not return “a lot of stuff” after high-profile shoots.
“What’s surprising about these types of allegations,” Grigoriadis said, “is that someone living in a multimillion-dollar Montecito estate with major media deals would bother taking home clothing or jewelry she could easily buy.” Expensive wardrobe pieces, jewelry, and accessories are typically loaned to celebrities for shoots and are expected to be returned unless purchased.
A fashion insider told Page Six that it’s common for talent to request to keep items they love, adding that discounts or accommodations are often offered if the designer allows it or if an item must be returned.
Somehow she also ended up with THIS Chanel dress taken from the same photo shoot.
Left: 2022 photo shoot Right: NYC 2025 pic.twitter.com/r90Mn3elLz
— Ethel Geiger (@bisou1970) November 22, 2025
Look at these stolen from the Reitman photoshoot pic.twitter.com/RB7NXADgkC
— Colleen (@FinnInMinn) November 22, 2025
Markle’s spokesperson, however, firmly rejected the allegation that anything was taken improperly. The representative told People that any items retained were kept with “full knowledge and agreement” from stylists and teams involved, describing the claims as both false and defamatory. They added that any pieces held by Markle were part of “archiving” arrangements tied to her royal wardrobe.
Since marrying Prince Harry seven years ago, Markle has often faced criticism from detractors who view her as overly ambitious and accuse her of seeking to profit from royal connections while criticizing the royal family. Her strained relationship with her own family has also been the subject of media scrutiny. In the 2020 documentary Thomas Markle: My Story, her father expressed disappointment, suggesting she had long sought fame but, in his view, damaged Harry’s ties to his family in the process.
“Every young girl wants to be a princess,” he said at the time. “She got that — and now she’s throwing it away for money.”
Meghan Markle’s dad accuses her and Prince Harry of destroying the royal family.
Thomas Markle said they’d cheapened it and made it shabby by turning it into a ‘Walmart with a crown on it’.#HarryAndMeghan #ThomasMarkle #MeghanMarkle pic.twitter.com/nl9ISPqePk
— On Demand News (@ODN) January 19, 2020
While Harry has publicly supported his wife, commentators continue to contrast his situation with that of his brother, Prince William, whose marriage to Kate Middleton is often framed in the press as a model of stability, elegance, and tradition.