Billionaire TV mogul Oprah Winfrey has given her friend Meghan Markle’s woke coffee brand another leg-up after featuring the superfood lattes in the latest edition of her Favorite Things gift guide.
The TV host included products from instant oat milk latte brand Clevr Blends in this year’s version of her Christmas guide, in which she gushed over the ‘woman-led’ brand – which she was introduced to by her ‘neighbor Meghan’, who invested an unspecified amount in the company last year.
Meghan, 40, announced in December 2020 that she was backing the California-based ‘wellness brand’ – and quickly made a move to promote its products via her friend Oprah by sending her a gift basket filled with the company’s superfood brands.
Oprah happily shared the products on her Instagram account, which had more than 19 million subscribers at the time, in a post that was estimated to be worth a staggering $1 million in free publicity.
Now Oprah, 67, has offered Meghan’s coffee company yet another promotion by including its instant lattes in her list of Favorite Things from 2021.
‘My neighbor Meghan (yes, that one) introduced me to this woman-led wellness brand,’ she said in the list.
This comes one-year after the acclaimed talk show host promoted the Duchess of Sussex’s instant oat-milk latte company on Instagram
The startup business sells latte powders in matcha, chai and coffee flavors, which are made into a drink by adding hot or cold water
‘Not a day goes by without me sipping on the golden latte from this kit, which also comes with chai latte mix and a little frother.
‘You can add the mixes to smoothies for a flavor boost, too.’
Oprah Winfrey, 67, just gave Meghan Markle’s coffee brand, Clevr Blends, another boost by including it in her Favorite Things from 2021 list
When Meghan first got involved with the product last year, she sent a gift box full the vegan coffee to Oprah, who shared a video of herself unboxing it to her Instagram account.
The post was reportedly worth at least $1 million and experts told MailOnline at the time that it was likely the most valuable piece of free publicity in history.
‘On the first day of Christmas my neighbor “M” sent to me… A basket of deliciousness! (Yes that M). My new drink of choice for the morning and night. Wish I had @clevrblends sooner ’cause I would’ve added it to my Favorite Things list. #HappyHolidays,’ she wrote in the post.
It’s unclear how much money Meghan invested in the company.
It was her first investment after she and her husband, Prince Harry, stepped back from their royal duties and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a private life and seek ‘financial independence.’
‘This investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritizes building community alongside her business,’ said Meghan of the brand’s founder and CEO, Hannah Mendoza.
‘I’m proud to invest in Hannah’s commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients and creating a product that I personally love and has a holistic approach to wellness.
‘I believe in her and I believe in her company.’
The startup business sells latte powders in matcha, chai and coffee flavors, which are made into a drink by adding hot or cold water.
In a statement, Hannah said, ‘Entrepreneurs need funding, but they also need advisers who care deeply about what they are building.
‘I’m grateful to have found both in the Duchess of Sussex.
‘Her passion for what we’re creating is palpable, and I couldn’t imagine a more aligned partnership. We’re excited for the road ahead.’
Oprah and Meghan are understood to have struck up a close friendship – which helped to land the TV mogul her sensational sit-down interview with the Sussexes earlier this year
Meghan, 40, said she was ‘proud’ to invest in the company and praised CEO Hannah Mendoza for her ‘commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients’ (pictured, Hannah Mendoza)
However, despite marketing itself as an ethical brand, Clevr Blends sparked controversy earlier this year when The Mail on Sunday revealed that the company had imported a large amount of its ingredients from a Chinese supplier that is based in a brutal police state.
Human rights groups had urged Western companies to cut all business ties with China’s Xinjiang region because of appalling abuses, including the widespread use of forced labor and the detention of a million Uighur Muslims in re-education camps, where it is claimed women are systematically raped.
Despite this, it was revealed in April that Clevr Blends had received almost 19 tons of oat milk powder from a company based in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.
The supplier – Xinjiang Haiyan International Trade – had its head office within four miles of four suspected detention centers, including a possible maximum security prison, and an alleged re-education site.
However, there is no evidence to suggest that Xinjiang Haiyan has used forced labor and The Mail on Sunday reported that the oats were neither grown nor processed in Xinjiang.
Oprah has been friends with the couple for years, and she even attended their wedding in May 2018.
The star has also been photographed hanging out with Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland.
Earlier this year, Meghan and Harry sat down with Oprah for an explosive, two-hour interview.
During the sit-down, Meghan opened up about her mental health and the way the royal family treated her.