Comedian Mindy Kaling has joked about going viral in an apparently ‘awkward’ moment during her guest appearance on Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show – and is addressing what really happened.
Kaling joined the Duchess of Sussex for the second episode of the show, as Markle showed all of her tips and tricks for hosting a children’s party.
During their time together, they made tea sandwiches, ladybug crudités, and even put together a balloon arch for the filmed garden gathering.
However, while the two were putting things together in the kitchen, fans caught what they believed to be an awkward moment between the two, as Markle corrected Kaling on her last name.
‘It’s so funny too, that you keep saying ‘Meghan Markle,” The Duchess told The Mindy Project star.
‘You know I’m Sussex now,’ she added.
The moment went viral, with viewers even going as far as to analyze it on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
However, Kaling seemed surprised by the strong reactions, which she spoke about during a Thursday morning visit to The View.
Her appearance was brought up by host Alyssa Farrah Griffin, who asked the writer what that experience was like for her.
‘You know, I had a great time. I noticed that whenever I do something, anything related to Meghan, it becomes… big news,’ Kaling began.
‘We were making sandwiches, and then they’ll push in on my face on TikTok and they’ll be like, ‘Look at this emotion you felt,’ and I honestly didn’t even remember it because we shot it like, nine months ago,’ she continued.
‘I loved my time with Meghan,’ Kaling added. ‘I’m also like, let her promote her show… it was great and really fascinating seeing the reaction.’
During the conversation, host Sunny Hostin also chimed in to say how much she enjoyed the new series, who called it a ‘beautifully made show’ and something that was ‘aspirational.’
The two first met after The Office star appeared on Markle’s now-defunct Spotify podcast, Archetypes.
And Whoopi Golding added: ‘People love to hate her. People love to talk about her.’
However, Kaling wasn’t the only famous friend that Markle hosted during the series – not only did her husband, Prince Harry, also make an appearance, but she also welcomed actress Abigail Spencer into her home.
The show features eight star-studded episodes.
During an interview with TIME Magazine last month, Kaling explained how she was first asked to be on With Love, Meghan.
‘I was on maternity leave with my daughter in March and April, and Meghan texted me that she was doing a show where she was going to cook for her friends,’ Kaling, who has three children, told TIME Magazine.
‘Would I want to come to Montecito and have her cook for me? I wanted to get taken care of in that moment of my life. That was a fun maternity leave field trip,’ she continued.
‘And I left with a basket of fresh produce and homemade jam and hot sauce because she knew I loved hot sauce. She’s a very generous woman who knew I needed a break.’
She also previously addressed the series, named With Love, Meghan on the red carpet of the 2025 Golden Globes ceremony.
Kaling said at the time: ‘When you hang out with Meghan, you know the food is going to be good. So it’s just nice for somebody else to be cooking for me.’
In the episode, Meghan explained to Kaling that she has taken the name Sussex so that she has the same name as her sons and Prince Harry.
She told her she had no idea how important it would feel to her to share a name until she had her children, Archie and Lilibet.
The series has divided fans, with some loving the at-home feel while critics said the show was ‘boring’ and fell flat.
The delayed lifestyle series was described by some as a ‘gormless lifestyle filler’ with ‘tangible desperation’.
Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rating of only 11 percent from over 250 viewers’ reviews on the site.
On IMDb, the show has a 2.6 out of 10 rating from more than 1,000 reviews.